XI  B  R.AR.Y 
OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

or    ILLINOIS 


634b39 
11899 


A   MAIDEN'S   CHOICE 


A  MAIDEN'S  CHOICE 


BY 

W.    HEIMBURG 

Author  of  "Lucie's  Mistake,"    "Defiant  Hearts,"  Etc.,  Etc. 


TRANSLATED    BY 

tL,IS^   Iv.    LATHROP 


R.  F.  FENNO  &  COMPANY,  9  and  ii  EAST 
SIXTEENTH  STREET    :     :     :    NEW  YORK 

1899 


COPYRIOHT,   1891,  BT 

WORTHINGTON  COi 


A  MAIDEN'S  CHOICE. 


N-; 


v^ 


V 


Aside  from  the  little 
village,  whose  only 
street  climbs  up  from  the  valley,  lies  the  old  Deren- 
berg  castle.  The  park  which  surrounded  it  has  grown 
wild;  the  branches  of  the  trees  hang  in  untrimmed 
luxuriance  over  the  road,  quite  blockipg  the  entrance, 
and  in  the  pleasure-garden  flowers  grow  in  gay  mixture 
with  all  kinds  of  weeds. 

The   massive   double   doors  of   the  high  portal  are 
tightly  closed,   and  on   the   broad  steps   before  them 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


grows  greenish  moss,  as  if  for  years  no  foot  had 
stepped  upon  them.  At  each  side  of  the  entrance,  a 
bear,  cut  in  sandstone,  keeps  guard  with  defiantly 
raised  paws,  and,  as  if  bored,  looks  down  the  splendid 
alley  of  primeval  lindens  which  leads  to  the  open  place 
before  the  castle.  It  is  quite  strangely  quiet  around  the 
old  castle;  only  the  wind  sighs  through  the  trees  of  the 
park,  and  solitude  has  laid  her  dreamy  spell  over  this 
world-removed  spot  of  earth — for  a  long  time  already. 

And  yet  there  was  life  here,  gay,  blooming  life. 
Clear,  jubilant  child-voices  echoed  through  the  lofty 
corridors,  and  floating  curls  and  happy  child-eyes 
peeped  through  the  green  thicket  of  the  garden.  The 
slender  boy  with  the  defiant  black  eyes,  and  the  delicate 
girl  with  the  blonde  curls,  who  could  scarcely  follow 
her  brother  with  her  tripping  little  feet,  how  beautiful 
was  youth  for  them!  And  at  times,  a  third  little  head 
appeared  near  them  with  a  pair  of  sunny  blue  eyes,  the 
dearest  playmate  of  the  brother  and  sister,  Lieschen, 
from  the  paper-mill  down  there  in  the  valley,  the  rag- 
miller's  Lieschen,  as  she  was  called  in  all  the  village; 
a  name  which  she  accepted  as  perfectly  natural,  and 
smilingly  nodded  when  she  was  so  called. 

If  the  children  stood  at  the  windows  of  the  castle, 
they  could  see  over  the  green  tops  of  the  oaks  the 
stately,  slated  roof  of  the  mill,  and  very  often  they 
went  hand  in  hand  to  their  little  friend.  Then  they 
walked  along  the  park  wall  by  the  rushing  mill-stream, 
across  the  small  bridge  over  this,  and  now  the  com- 
fortable dwelling-house  lay  before  them;  gay  pigeons 
fluttered  around  its  gables,  the  windows  looked  so 
clear,  and  the  stamuing  of  the  mill,  the  rushing  water, 
told  of  life. 


A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


And  within,  in  the  cosy  room,  in  the  so-called  nurs- 
ery, there  sat  Auntie  by  the  stove  and  spun;  her 
pleasant  eyes  smiled  at  the  children,  and  on  the  long 
winter  afternoons  the  little  girl  hurriedly  drew  a  bench 
to  the  feet  of  the  old  woman,  while  Army  seated  him- 
self near  her,  his  large  eyes  resting  expectantly  upon 
the  wrinkled  face.  "And  now  tell  us  something, 
Auntie,"    was   the   clamor,  and  the   old  woman   told 


them  stories;  the  whirr  of  her  spinning-wheel  accom- 
panied her  voice,  and  then  all,  all  the  fairy-tale  forms 
of  the  bad  wolf  and  Red  Riding  Hood,  of  Snow-white 
and  the  seven  dwarfs,  rose  before  the  eyes  of  the  chil- 
dren, and  the  girls  leaned  closely  against  each  other, 
while  the  boy  clenched  his  little  fists.  "  If  I  had  only 
been  there  I  would — I  would  have  killed  the  wolf!" 

But  the  best  of  all  was  up  in  the  castle.     There  the 
little  feet  could  run  through  endless  corridors;  nowhere 


A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


else  could  they  play  such  splendid  games  of  hide  and 
seek  as  in  the  many  corners,  the  deep  alcoves  and 
niches  of  the  large,  arched  hall;  the  gay  voices  echoed 
strangely  from  the  lofty  walls,  and  the  old  white-haired 
servant  often  came  among  the  little  group,  with  the 
whispered  words :  "  Quiet — quiet,  so  that  your  grand- 
mamma does  not  hear  you !" 

"Grandmamma!"  That  was  a  word  which  would 
subdue  the  loudest  merriment.  Shyly  they  tripped  past 
the  room  door  of  the  feared  one,  in  order  to  seek  an- 
other place  for  playing.  Sometimes  it  happened  that 
a  commanding  woman's  figure  in  dark  green  walked 
along  the  corridor,  and  met  the  children;  then  she 
would  remain  standing,  and  call  the  grandson  to  her, 
and  stroke  his  curly  hair:  a  smile  passed  over  her 
pale,  proud  face,  and  her  dark  eyes  sparkled;  she 
nodded  pleasantly  to  Nelly,  while  she  seemed  not  to 
notice  the  little  girl  at  all,  who  shyly  stood  there,  and 
timidly  and  surprisedly  looked  up  at  her. 

"  No  one  else  has  such  a  beautiful  grandmother,  that 
is  sure,"  said  the  little  one,  looking  after  her. 

"  My  mamma  is  much  prettier!"  declared  Nelly  then, 
and  ran  in  the  sitting-room,  where  a  pale  young  lady 
sat  at  the  window,  and  with  heavy,  tearful  eyes  looked 
out  into  the  solitude.  But  when  the  children  ap- 
proached her  a  smile  passed  over  her  sad  face;  she  had 
caresses  for  each  alike,  for  Lieschen  also,  and  answered 
unweariedly  the  many  questions  which  were  put  to  her. 
At  times  Sanna,  the  thin  old  servant,  appeared,  and 
took  the  boy  away,  in  the  midst  of  the  loveliest  games, 
to  the  grandmother;  then  he  did  not  return  for  hours; 
the  little  girls  must  play  alone  then,  and  that  was  not 
half  so  nice. 


A  Maiden^ s  Choice. 


Army  was  grandmama's  favorite,  her  only  joy  in 
the  quiet  life.  He  must  obey  the  command,  and  he  did 
it  so  willingly.  He  returned  with  sparkling  eyes,  and 
related  what  grandmamma  had  told  him  of  the  far 
South,  where  it  was  so  many  thousand  times  more  beau- 
tiful than  here,  where  there  was  a  mountain  that  sent 
out  fire,  by  the  blue  sea,  and  where  every  one  was  gay 
and  happy.  "I  will  go  there  as  soon  as  I  am  grown," 
he  usually  added,  "and  Liese  shall  come  with  me,  be- 
cause she  is  not  afraid  in  the  dark,  and  does  not  cry 
like  Nelly." 

But  it  was  the  greatest  delight  of  the  children  when 
old  Henry,  after  much  begging,  took  the  heavy  bunch 
of  keys,  in  order  to  take  them  to  the  ancestral  hall. 
There  they  lay  before  them,  the  row  of  deserted 
rooms,  in  the  twilight  of  drawn  curtains;  a  peculiar 
fragrance  such  as  comes  from  rose  jars,  a  breath  of  air 
which  reminded  one  of  long  past  times,  met  them,  and 
shyly  the  children's  feet  tripped  through  the  rooms, 
past  the  high  chimney-pieces  with  their  gilded  ara- 
besques and  foliage,  whose  black  throats  seemed  to 
yawn  as  if  bored  at  the  eternal  monotony,  past  massive 
old  four-post  bedsteads,  whose  faded  silk  hangings 
rustled  softly,  as  if  some  one  stood  behind  them. 

And  then  came  the  most  beautiful  part  of  the  whole 
castle,  the  children's  favorite  spot,  the  ancestral  hall. 
There  they  all  looked  out  of  their  heavy,  gilded  frames, 
the  old  Derenbergs,  with  their  wives  and  sons  and 
daughters.  What  a  stately  row  of  proud  men  and  beau- 
tiful women!  Each  of  the  children  had  his  or  her  fa- 
vorite picture  there,  and  Army  usually  stood  before  one 
of  the  first  in  the  long  row,  and  his  large  eyes  shone  as 
he  looked  up   at   the  wonderfully   beautiful  woman's 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


head  which  stood  out,  almost  as  if  done  in  relief,  from 
the  dark  background.  The  picture  was  painted  in 
delicate  colors,  almost  obliterated;   luxuriant  golden, 


almost  red  hair,  drawn  back  from  the  white  forehead, 
was  hidden  under  a  cap  of  silver  stuff,  and  below  this 
forehead,  under  the  black,  delicately  pencilled  brows, 
which  contrasted  strangely  with  the  bright  hair,  looked 
out  great  dark  eyes;  with  the  expression  of  deep,  un- 
fathomable longing  they  gazed  at  the  spectator,  so 
dreamily,  so  steeped  in  misery,  as  if  they  sought  a  lost 
happiness.  The  delicate  mouth  was  slightly  drawn 
down;^around  the  slender  neck  lay  a  wonderfully  set 
diamond  necklace;  a  dress  of  silvery  stuff,  held  together 
on  the  small,  somewhat  wasted  shoulders  by  diamond 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


aigrettes,  clung  tightly  to  the  delicate  figure,  and  from 
the  open  sleeves  shone  a  slender  white  arm. 

"That  is  Agnes  Mechthilde,  Freifrau  of  Derenberg," 
said  Army,  proudly;  "a  born  Krobitz  of  the  Trauen- 
house;  she  is  the  most  beautiful  of  all,"  he  added,  "  but 
she  has  long  been  dead — almost  two  hundred  years. " 

Lieschen  shook  her  head,  so  that  her  brown  braids  flew 
out.  "  Our,  your  grandmother,  who  hangs  down  there, 
is  much  more  beautiful."  And  she  ran  down  the  long 
hall  and  placed  herself  before  the  life-size  picture  of 
the  beautiful  Leonora  von  Derenberg.  She  was  painted 
in  the  splendor  of  a  lady  of  the  Middle  Ages,  in  which 
she  had  once  received  the  reigning  sovereign  when  he 
honored  Castle  Derenberg  with  his  presence,  in  order 
to  hunt  in  its  extensive  forests.  And  this  proud  mo- 
ment was  here  preserved  in  the  picture.  The  beautiful, 
luxurianjt  figure  in  the  blue  velvet  gown  bent  slightly 
forward  in  a  charming  pose.  The  slender  hands  held 
up  to  the  spectator  the  silver  goblet  with  the  welcoming 
drink ;  the  fine  head  was  bent  a  little  to  the  side,  the 
black  eyes  beamed  in  seductive  brilliancy,  and  the  full, 
smiling  lips  seemed  yet  moist  from  the  just-sipped  wine. 
There  was  an  intoxicating  breath  of  voluptuous  sen- 
suality about  the  form  of  this  wonderfully  beautiful 
woman. 

"Ah,  she  is  beautiful!  she  is  splendid!"  cried  Lies- 
chen; and  clapped  her  hands  with  delight.  "The  most 
beautiful  of  all!  and  you.  Army,  look  just  so!" 

"My  mamma  is  still  more  beautiful,"  asserted  Nelly 
again ;  "  is  she  not,  Henry  ? "  she  asked  the  old  man, 
who,  standing  there,  looked  at  the  beautiful  woman  in 
the  picture  with  a  melancholy  smile. 

"Yes,    indeed,"    he    replied,    starting   out    of   deep 


8  A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


thought,  and  went  to  the  last  picture  in  the  long  row 
and  arranged  the  withered  wreath  with  the  black 
mourning  scarf,  which  did  not  seem  at  all  suited  to 
the  bold,  sensual  man's  face  which  looked  out  from 
beneath  it.  ' 

"That  is  my  father,"  whispered  little  Nelly,  follow- 
ing the  old  man,  and  nestling  against  him.  "You 
knew  him,  too,  Henry,  did  you  not?  He  was  so  hand- 
some, mamma  says,  and  she  loved  him  so,  and  he  died 
so  young.  Mamma  cries  so  much  for  him  every  day, 
still." 

"Yes,  yes;  she  cries  every  day,"  replied  the  old 
man,  and  in  his  eyes  sadness  and  anger  shone  at  once; 
"every  day — and  God  knows  she  has  reason,"  he  added 
softly. 

And  one  day  the  playing  of  the  three  was  at  an  end; 
the  pretty  boy  went  away  from  the  lonely  old  castle. 
He  should  enter  the  cadet  school  in  order  to  become  an 
officer  some  day;  "the  only  respectable  career  for  a 
poor  nobleman,"  grandmamma  hod  said,  with  a  bitter 
smile. 

He  ran  once  more  to  all  the  favorite  places  in  the  old 
park;  he  took  leave  of  the  ancestral  hall,  and  the  beau- 
tiful Agnes  Mechthilde;  and  then  he  also  went  to  the 
mill.  "God  protect  you!"  said  Auntie,  with  emotion, 
and  stroked  his  curly  head;  and  Lieschen  walked  a 
little  way  with  him,  to  before  the  house.  At  the  mill 
bridge  she  remained  standing. 

"Good-bye,  Lieschen,"  said  he,  and  when  the  little 
one  suddenly  put  her  hands  before  her  face  and  began 
to  weep  bitterly  he  looked  quite  surprised.  "  Please 
do  not  cry,  Lieschen,"  he  consoled  her,  with  embarrass- 
ment.    "I  shall  come  back  again  at  vacation  time,  and 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


will  bring  you  something.  And  Nelly  stays  here;  you 
must  go  to  see  her  every  day. " 

Lieschen  shook  her  head.  "  I  am  afraid  of  your 
grandmother  when  you  are  not  there;  she  always  looks 
at  me  so  angrily." 

He  laughed.  "You  are  foolish,  Lieschen.  Good- 
bye; give  me  your  hand,  and  do  not  cry  any  more." 

She  stretched  out  her  hand,  but  with  the  other  arm 


she  brushed  against  the  railing  of  the  little  bridge,  laid 
her  head  down  on  it,  and  wept  still  more.     It  sounded 


lo  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

'       —  ■  -  -----  -—  ■    m^m^t 

quite  heart-broken,  and  Army  could  see  only  the  brown 
hair  and  the  two  long,  splendid  braids,  which  he  so 
liked  to  use  as  reins  when  they  played  horse. 

"Good-bye,  Lieschen,"  he  said  once  more,  softly;  it 
suddenly  seemed  fearfully  hard  to  him  to  go  away  from 
here,  although  he  had  so  looked  forward  to  being  with 
boys  of  his  own  age.  "Good-bye,"  sobbed  Lieschen, 
and  when,  after  a  long  while,  she  looked  up,  the  play- 
mate had  disappeared,  and  she  went  in  to  Auntie  and 
cried  herself  out, — the  first  hot  tears  of  parting  in  her 
little  life. 


II. 


In  the  room  of  the  younger  baroness  a  wood  fire 
crackled  in  the  tall  chimney,  and  lent  the  room  with 
the  old  carved  furniture  a  somewhat  cosy,  homelike 
look.  In  one  of  the  deep  window  niches  sits  a  young 
girl  of  scarcely  fourteen  years,  and  looks  at  the  fading 
sunset  of  the  short  winter  day;  her  fine  profile  stands 
out  sharply  against  the  light  background  of  the  win- 
dow. She  has  folded  her  slender  hands  in  each  other, 
»nd  her  thoughts  evidently  wandered  into  the  distance. 

"Mamma!"  said  she  then,  and  suddenly  turned  her 
head,  with  the  thick  blonde  curls,  to  the  delicate,  pale 
woman  who  was  knitting  in  an  arm-chair  by  the  fire. 
"  Mamma,  Army  is  staying  an  unreasonably  long  time  in 
grandmamma's  room;  we  will  again  to-day  not  have 
time  to  go  to  the  mill,  and  yet  it  is  the  highest  time. 
Army  has  only  eight  days*  furlough,  and  already  four 
have  passed.  To-day  he  promised  me  decidedly  to  come 
with  me.  What  will  Lieschen  think,  when  he  has  not 
been  down  there  once  ? " 

The  young  girl  had  risen  with  these  words,  and  had 
approached  her  mother;  an  expression  of  displeasure 
and  impatience  lay  on  her  childish  face. 

"  Only  have  patience,  Nelly,"  replied  the  mother,  and 
stroked  her  daughter's  blooming  cheeks.  "  You  know, 
when  grandmamma  wishes,  Army  must  stay  as  long  as 


12 


A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


she  desires.  Grandmamma  has  many  things  to  say  to 
him.  Practise  patience,  my  darling.  It  is  so  neces- 
sary for  life.     Light  the  lamp  and  draw  the  curtains 


ion  know  there  is  yet  much  to  be  done  to  finish  Army's 
linen.  Be  industrious,  little  daughter,  then  time  passes 
the  quickest." 

The  slender,  girlish  form,  with  its  still  childish  out- 


A  Maiden* s  Choice.  13 

lines,  glided  almost  noiselessly  over  the  inlaid  floor, 
and  soon  the  lamp  illuminated  the  room,  which  now 
seemed  doubly  homelike,  with  its  old-fashioned  and 
yet  such  comfortable  furnishings.  The  baroness  also 
rose  and  took  a  seat  beside  the  b,rge  round  table,  and 
now  the  lamp-light  fell  upon  a  pale  face,  with  inde- 
scribably attractive,  gentle  features;  but  grief  had  fur- 
rowed many  lines  of  pain  in  it,  and  the  thoughtful  blue 
eyes  one  saw  had  wept  very,  very  much. 

The  little  daughter  opposite  had  her  features  at  this 
moment;  the  blue,  starry  eyes  shone  out  gladly  from 
under  thick,  long  lashes,  for  without,  in  the  corridor, 
was  heard  a  firm,  elastic  step.  Immediately  the  door  of 
the  room  opened,  and  a  gay  young  officer  entered.  His 
nineteen-year-old  face  wore  an  expression  of  the  sun- 
niest youthful  courage,  and  his  dark  eyes  had  a  laugh- 
ing, happy  look.     Nelly  hurried  up  to  him. 

"  Army,  how  nice  that  you  come!  Now  we  can  surely 
go  to  the  mill,"  begged  she,  and,  rising  on  tiptoes, 
threw  her  arm  caressingly  round  his  neck.  "  I  will  get 
my  cloak  and  cap  quickly,  for  we  must  not  wait  longer. 
You  know  they  have  supper  punctually  in  the  mill." 

She  was  about  to  hurry  happily  away. 

"  Stop,  Nelly!"  cried  the  young  man,  and  held  her  by 
the  arm.  "Let  that  go,  little  one;  it — is  no  longer 
suitable,"  he  aaied,  hesitatingly. 

"It  is  no  longer  suitable?"  The  young  girl  looked 
up  at  her  brother  questioningly. 

"No,  Nelly;  you  must  be  sensible.  As  a  child,  one 
can  associate  with  whom  one  will,  just  because  one  is 
a  child,  but  an  officer  does  not  now  go " 

"But  to  Lieschen!  You  can  surely  visit  Lieschen? 
You  always  used  to  come  with  me  so  willingly." 


14  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"Oh,  Army!"  said  the  baroness;  "you  are  not  seri- 
ous. They  are  honorable  people,  those  of  the  mill, 
and  they  have  always  meant  well  with  you.  It  would 
be  unthankful " 

"But,  mamma,  I  beg  you,"  replied  he,  and  his  dark 
eyes  sparkled  with  vexation.  "  It  really  is  not  possible 
for  me  to  go  there.  The  people  are  honorable,  cer- 
tainly, but  of  the  lower  middle  class.  Only  think,  sup- 
pose the  miller  should  go  to  B ,  and  should  have  the 

unfortunate  idea  of  looking  me  up!  I  should  be  placed 
in  the  greatest  embarrassment!  " 

"  They  are  no  uncultivated  people,  and  only  grand- 
mamma, who  cannot  bear  the  miller's  family,  has  told 
you  that,"  cried  Nelly,  and  her  little  face  flamed. 

"Miller's!  That  is  it,"  laughed  the  young  officer. 
"No,  my  little  one,"  he  added,  and  seated  himself  at 
the  table.  "  You  do  not  understand  that.  I  admit  that 
they  are  respectable,  good  people,  but  to  pay  them  a 
visit  I  must  cross  a  wide  chasm,  and  it  is  not  well  to 
build  a  bridge  over  it.  Let  every  one  stay  in  his  own 
rank.  You,  too,  Nell,  cannot  always  associate  with 
them  over  there.  When  your  first  long  dress  rustles 
behind  you,  then  good-bye  rag-miller's  Lieschen!  " 

"  Never!"  cried  the  young  girl,  beside  herself.  "I 
will  run  to  the  mill  at  night  if  they  forbid  me  to  by 
day.  Lieschen  is  my  only  friend.  But  what  shall  I 
tell  her  as  a  reason  why  you  do  not  come?"  She  burst 
into  tears. 

"A  reason  can  be  found.  Nelly,  pray  do  not  cry," 
said  her  brother,  consolingly.  His  voice  had  a  gentle 
sound,  just  as  formerly,  when  he  had  broken  his  sister's 
doll  and  did  not  know  how  he  could  comfort  her. 

She  knew  this  time;  she  raised  her  little  head,  and 


A  MaictefCs  Choice.  15 

her  blue  eyes,  spark'/ing  with  tears,  looked  up  at  him 
hopefully.  "Oh,  Army,"  begged  she,  "you  wished  to 
tease  me,  did  you  not?  We  will  go  to  the  mill, 
eh  ?  " 

He  stood  there  motionless  for  a  moment;  before  his 
mind  rose  the  well-known  figure  of  a  little  girl  as  he 
had  formerly  seen  her  a  hundred  times — Lieschen,  rag- 
miller's  Lieschen,  from  the  paper  mill  down  there  in  the 
valley.  She  looked  at  him  with  her  sunny  blue  child 
eyes,  her  red  lips  opened :  "  Army,  are  you  coming  with 
me?  We  will  go  to  Auntie;  she  will  give  us  apples, 
and  I  saw  a  biid-nest  in  the  park.  Come,  Army, 
come!"  Mechanically  he  made  a  gesture  as  if  he 
would  seize  the  cup  which  lay  on  the  table.  The  lamp- 
light fell  on  a  sparkling  ring  on  his  hand,  in  whose 
golden  green  stone  shone  the  bear  coat-of-arms  of  the 
Derenbergs;  hastily  he  glanced  at  the  same,  and 
quickly  seized  his  cap  and  threw  it  on  a  near  table. 

"  Do  not  worry  me !  "  said  he  shortly,  and  turned 
away. 

A  long  pause  ensued;  the  young  girl  rose  and  seated 
herself  at  her  former  place,  bending  her  head  deeply 
over  her  work;  but  the  little  fingers  which  guided  the 
needle  trembled  violently,  and  great  drops  fell  from  her 
eyes  on  the  white  stuff.  The  baroness  sighed  and 
rested  her  eyes  with  a  pained  expression  upon  her  son, 
who  continuously  walked  up  and  down  the  room.  The 
old  rococo  clock  struck  six  and  began  to  play  a  long- 
forgotten  love-song;  the  fine,  delicate  melody  echoed 
through  the  room,  and  still  the  silence  of  displeasure 
lay  over  the  three  people,  who  were  yet  bound  together 
by  the  tenderest  love. 

"Army,"  at  length  began  the  pale  lady,  "when  did 


1 6  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

grandmamma  give  you  the  ring  which  you  now  wear  on 
your  finger?" 

He  stood  before  the  fireplace,  and  while  he  poked  the 
tongs  in  the  blaze,  so  that  the  sparks  shot  high  up,  he 
said: 

"This  afternoon,  just  now,  when  I  was  in  her  room." 

"  Do  you  know  that  it  is  your  father's  ring,  Army?" 

The  young  man  suddenly  turned  round.  "  No, 
mamma,  grandmamma  did  not  tell  me  that;  she  only 
spoke  in  general  of  the  signification  of  the  coat-of- 
arms,  and " 

"Well,  my  child,  I  will  tell  you,"  came  from  the  lips 
of  the  baroness,  and  it  seemed  as  if  her  voice  trembled 
with  inward  excitement.  "  It  is  the  ring  which  grand- 
mamma once  drew  from  the  cold,  stiff  hand  of  your 
father,  when  he — was  dead."  The  last  words  sounded 
like  a  half-suppressed  cry,  and  the  delicate  form  sank 
back  in  the  arm-chair  as  if  broken. 

"  My  dear,  good  mamma !  "  cried  Army,  and  quickly 
knelt  down  by  her  side,  while  Nelly,  bending  over  her, 
leaned  her  cheek  against  her  tearful  face. 

"Do  not  cry,  dear  mamma!"  begged  he.  "I  will 
honor  the  ring  as  highly  as  only  a  son  who  is  proud  of 
the  remembrance  of  his  father  may.  I  will  try  to  be 
as  good,  as  noble  as  he  was." 

In  these  words,  in  the  look  which  he  gave  his  weep- 
ing mother,  lay  all  the  conviction  of  an  unspoiled,  child- 
ish heart,  all  the  reverence  which  sees  in  the  deceased 
father  the  best  of  men.  But  the  effect  of  his  words  was 
almost  annihilating.  The  fragile  form  of  the  baroness 
drew  itself  up  from  the  chair;  she  looked  at  her  son  as 
if  out  of  her  mind.  "  Army,  almighty  God !"  she  cried, 
in  a  tone  of  desperation,     "  Oh,  not  that!  not  that!  " 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  17 

"Mamma  is  ill,"  said  the  son,  and  hurried  to  the 
bell.  But  a  weak  "Come  back,  Army!  It  will  pass," 
called  him  back  to  her  side.  She  thankfully  took  a 
glass  of  water,  and  said,  while  she  tried  to  smile: 

"I  have  frightened  you,  you  poor  children;  forgive 
me.  The  recollection  of  your  father  is  for  me  even  to- 
day a  deeply  sad  one,  but  now  when  Army  is  about  to 
enter  the  world,  I  must  speak  to  you  of  the  past,  which 
until  now  I  have  always  sought  to  avoid.  You  have 
already,  probably,  secretly  wondered,"  she  continued, 
after  a  short  pause,  "  that  we  lead  such  a  simple,  retired 
life — a  life  which  is  totally  without  luxury.  Ah,  Amry, 
it  does  not  pain  me  on  my  account,  only  on  yours.  You 
enter  into  the  most  depressing  circumstances  which 
one  can  imagine,  conjured  up  by  the  boundless 
frivolity " 

She  hushed,  frightened,  and  burst  into  bitter  weeping. 

Army  stood  near  the  fireplace,  with  gloomy  brow,  and 
looked  over  at  the  weeping  woman.  The  sunny  expres- 
sion of  his  face  was  as  if  wiped  away,  and  about  his 
mouth  lay  an  expression  of  deep  disappointment. 

"When  I  entered  this  house  at  your  father's  side,  a 
child  of  just  sixteen  years,"  began  the  baroness  again, 
"  I  found  here  brilliancy  and  gay  life.  Castle  Deren- 
berg  had  been  renowned  for  its  hospitality  for  years, 
and  your  grandmother  knew  how  to  maintain  an  estab- 
lishment. She  was,  at  that  time,  still  wonderfully 
beautiful,  just  as  entrancing  as  in  her  large  picture  up- 
stairs in  the  ancestral  hall,  and  she  loved  brilliancy 
and  splendor.  She  was  so  good  and  loving  to  me  that 
I  really  thought  I  had  found  a  second  mother.  Ah, 
that  short,  brilliant  time  was  the  most  beautiful  of  my 
life;  and  when  I  clasped  you  to  my  heart,  my  Army, 


i8 


A  Maiaen  s  Choice. 


and  you,  my  Nelly,  nothing  was  lacking  for  my  happi- 
ness.     But   then    came    the   dreadful    catastrophe,    the 


death  of  your  father.  Suddenly  and  abruptly  unhappi- 
ness  burst  over  us." 

She  shuddered,  and  pressed  her  trembling  hands  to 
her  temples,  as  if  she  must  think  whether  what  she  re- 
lated really  belonged  to  a  distant  past,  while  the  young 
girl,  sobbing  softly,  knelt  before  her  mother. 

"After  his  death,  a  guardian  was  given  me  in  the 
person  of  the  lawyer  Hellwig.  It  was  found  that  our 
affairs  were  more  than  disordered,     Wherever  the  ey? 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  19 

turned,  mortgages,  loans,  unpaid  bills;  it  was  a  con- 
fusion beyond  comparison  in  which  grandmamma  and  I 
suddenly  saw  ourselves  placed.  How  many  sleepless 
nights,  how  many  hours  of  trouble  have  passed  since 
then!  and  yet,  up  to  this  day,  old  Hellwig,  in  spite  of 
his  exertions,  has  not  brought  light  out  of  the  chaos; 
it  is  all  too  confused,  too  disarranged." 

"  Do  not  excite  yourself,  dear  mamma!  "  begged  the 
young  officer.  "I  knew  long  ago  that  we  lived  in 
straitened  circumstances,  even  if  I  could  not  suspect 
that  we  are  so  poor;  but  take  courage!  Other,  better 
times  will  surely  come.  Grandmamma  told  me  that 
affairs  were  not  so  desperate,  as  we  could  certainly  ex- 
pect a  rich  inheritance  from  Aunt  Stontheim!" 

"  Grandmamma  indeed  believes  in  this  inheritance, 
but " 

"She  thinks,"  interrupted  the  young  man,  zealously, 
"  that  before  I  join  my  regiment  I  should  introduce  my- 
self to  Aunt  Stontheim." 

"  I  have  nothing  against  it,  my  child,  and  earnestly 
hope  that  grandmamma  is  not  mistaken  with  regard  to 

this  matter  of  inheritance ;  I "  she  sighed,  and  was 

silent,  but  on  her  face  was  an  expression  as  if  she  would 
say,  "I  hope  nothing  more." 

"  Grandmamma  said  she  was  a  peculiar  woman.  Aunt 
Storitheim — full  of  prejudices  and  whims,"  continued 
Army,  questioningly. 

"  Certainly ;  and  besides  that,  Army,  I  do  not  under- 
stand how  grandmamma  can  so  fully  believe  that  aunt 
will  make  you  her  heirs,  for  the  Derenbergs  in  Konigs- 
berg  are  just  as  likely  to  be  heirs  as  we.  You  know, 
Army,  Colonel  von  Derenberg,  of  the  sixteenth  regiment 
— bis  daughter  has  the  same  right  as  you  and  Nelly.' 


30  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


At  this  moment  Sanna  opened  the  lofty  folding-doors, 
and  the  old  Baroness  Derenberg  entered  the  room,  a 
still  stately,  imperious  apparition;  she  held  herself 
irreproachably  erect  in  spite  of  her  sixty  years;  she 
wore  her  simple,  gray  woolen  robe  with  the  same  dig- 
nity and  charm  with  which  she  had  once  crossed  the 
room  in  heaviest  trailing  silk.  Her  heavy,  still  dark 
hair,  loosely  drawn  back  from  the  temples,  was  covered 
by  a  little  cap,  under  whose  yellow  old  lace  border 
flamed  the  large  black  eyes  which  upstairs,  in  the  an- 
cestral hall,  looked  out  so  seductively  from  the  youth- 
ful, proud  face  of  the  beautiful  mistress  of  the  castle. 
A  truly  aristocratic  air  pervaded  her  whole  appearance, 
and  the  delicate  features  wore  an  expression  of  not  to 
be  humbled  pride.  How  old  the  careworn,  sickly 
daughter-in-law  looked  beside  this  imposing  woman  I 

The  young  officer  hurried  to  meet  her;  he  took  a 
large  book  in  clumsy  binding,  which  she  held  in  her 
hands,  from  her,  and  then  led  her  to  the  fire,  where 
Sanna  had  already  arranged  several  chairs.  The  grand- 
daughter likewise  had  quickly  sprung  up,  and  the  pale 
woman  secretly  dried  the  last  tears  from  her  eyes,  and 
tried  to  charm  a  pleasant  smile  to  her  face. 

"What  were  you  talking  of  here?"  asked  the  old 
baroness,  while  she  took  a  seat  by  the  fire  and  dis- 
missed the  servant  with  a  gesture.  "  I  heard  something 
of  'the  same  rights  as  Army  and  Nelly.'  " 

"  We  spoke  of  Aunt  Stontheim  and  the  matter  of  in- 
heritance," replied  her  daughter-in-law,  also  seating 
herself  by  the  fire,  so  that  her  back  was  toward  the 
light;  "and  then  I  thought  of  the  Konigsberg  Deren- 
bergs,  and  said  that  Blanche  von  Derenberg  had  as 
much  right  to  the  inheritance  as  our  children." 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


21 


"Blanche!  What  an  idea!"  cried  the  old  lady, 
shrugging  her  shoulders;  "that  red-haired,  scrofulous 
creature!  The  Stontheim — thank  God — has  too  good 
taste  to  make  such  a  mistake;  besides,  as  I  remember, 
she  has  a  very  justified  dislike  for  this  philanthropic 
sir  colonel,  and  an  equal  one  for  his  extremely  blonde 
lady  wife,  whom  he  picked  up  in  Heaven  knows  what 
corner  of  England  or  Scotland — she  is  a  Miss  Smith  or 


Newman,  is  she  not?  Weil,  it  was  some  such  obscure 
person,  and  even  for  this  reason  the  Stontheim  would 
hold  back.  Now  that  is  again  a  quite  unreasonable 
story,  hunted  up  to  worry  yourself  with,  Cornelia;  for 
which  you  certainly  have  a  great  talent,  Cornelia." 

There  was  something  of  irony  in  her  speech,  as 
always,  when  the  proud  woman  addressed  her  daughter- 
in-law. 

"I  only  meant,"  replied    she  gently,  "that  we  cer- 


22  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


tainly  could  not  reckon  with  surety  upon  this  inherit- 
ance, as  you  do,  mamma;  and  I  should  like  to  make 
this  clear  to  Army,  for  nothing  is  so  sad  as  shattered 
hopes;  life  brings  so  many  disappointments  with  it." 

"You  really  make  me  nervous,  Cornelia,"  said  the 
old  lady,  irritably.  "I  nevertheless  assert  that  it  will 
be  true  that  the  inheritance  comes  to  the  children,  if 
these  know  how  to  behave,  and  Army  is  a  sensible, 
clever  fellow;  he  will  know  how  to  turn  this  dreadful 
old  aunt's  heart  to  him,  so  that  the  really  princely 
property  falls  to  him." 

"  How  do  you  mean,  grandmamma  ? "  suddenly  said 
the  clear  voice  of  the  young  man,  and  his  dark  eyes 
looked  questioningly  at  her.  "  I  hope  you  do  not  de- 
sire that  I  should  go  on  a  legacy  hunt,  as  they  call  it? 
I  will  meet  her  politely,  as  is  proper  for  a  gentleman 
with  a  lady,  but  that  is  all.  I  cannot  fawn  upon  her. 
What  she  will  not  give  me  of  her  own  free  will  she  may 
keep!" 

The  grandmother  drew  herself  up  in  astonishment 
from  her  indolent  position  in  the  arm-chair,  and  her 
eyes  sparkled  with  rage  at  this  unexpected  declaration 
of  her  grandson,  "  Would  one  consider  that  possible 
from  such  a  young  greenhorn  ? "  she  asked,  in  a  tone 
which  she  tried  to  make  sound  jesting,  but  her  voice 
trembled  with  anger.  "Hey,  Army!  Have  you,  then, 
with  your  cadet  coat,  taken  off  respect,  and  do  you 
think  because  you  have  worn  epaulettes  for  a  week  that 
you  can  instruct  your  grandmother  and  despise  her  good 
counsel  ?  You  are  still  too  young  to  be  able  to  rightly 
judge  the  circumstances  in  which  you  will  now  enter. 
Dear  me!  is  it  legacy  hunting  when  one  seeks  to  win 
the  heart  of  a  lonely  old  relative?" 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  23 

"Yes,  grandmamma,"  said  Army  firmly,  and  not  a 
muscle  changed  in  his  handsome  face.  "Yes,  it  is 
legacy  hunting  as  soon  as  one  seeks  to  win  with  the 
heart  of  a  person  her  money  also " 

"  Which  one  has  extreme  need  of,  if  one  does  not 
wish  to  starve  all  one's  life,  and  suffer  want  in  a  cas- 
tle without  resource  or  domains,"  interrupted  the  old 
baroness  angrily,  and  pushed  her  chair  back. 

"  That  I  admit,  grandmamma,"  continued  Army.  "  I 
would  never  have  used  the  expression  if  there  had  not 
been  an  heiress  already;  but  because  Blanche " 

"Blanche  again!  Do  you,  perchance,  know  her? 
Do  you  know  whether  she  still  lives,  the  sickly  crea- 
ture? It  is  horrible  to  hear  this  childish  wisdom, 
which  tastes  of  the  confirmation  hours,  exposed !  But 
you,  Cornelia,  have  conjured  up  this  nonsense,  and 
naturally,  in  your  moral  zeal,  did  not  think  how  much 
could  be  lost  by  such  narrow-minded  views.  I  urgently 
desire.  Array,  that  you  travel  to  Stontheim;  I  will  bear 
no  opposition;  to-day  goes  the  letter  which  announces 
you." 

"Certainly,  grandmamma,  I  will  go,"  said  Army, 
with  cold  politeness;  "as  soon  as  you  wish." 

She  rose;  her  proud  face  was  flushed  a  dark  red,  and 
around  her  mouth  lay  a  peculiarly  obstinate  expression; 
never  had  the  similarity  between  grandmother  and 
grandson  been  more  striking.  With  sparkling  eyes  and 
lips  tightly  pressed  together,  with  stiff  bearing,  they 
stood  opposite  each  other,  neither  giving  way  to  the 
other. 

"You  will  leave  to-morrow  afternoon  with  the  five 
o'clock  post,"  said  she,  coldly  and  decidedly,  and, 
without  awaiting  the  assenting  bow  of  the  young  man. 


24  A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


she  greeted  her  astounded  daughter-in-law  with  a  slight 
inclination  of  the  head,  and  left  the  room, 

A  painful  silence  prevailed  when  the  folding-doors 
had  closed  behind  the  tall  figure.  The  younger  baroness 
was  frightened;  she  did  not  understand  how  any  one 
could  contradict  the  feared  mother-in-law,  and  he  who 
had  ventured  to  do  so  stood  there  by  the  fireplace  so 
quietly,  and  looked  in  the  flames  as  if  the  proud  grand- 
mother, whose  word  was  law  for  everyone  in  the  house, 
had  not  just  left  the  room  in  evident  rage  at  his  oppo- 
c"  1 ".  Nelly  looked  at  her  brother  with  astonished 
eyes, — he  was  so  different;  and  secretly  she  acknowl- 
edged that  Lieschen  was  right  when  she  said  he  at 
times  strikingly  resembled  his  grandmother. 

Now  in  the  corridor  the  bell  which  called  Sanna  to 
her  mistress  rang  violently  and  shrilly.  After  a  while 
the  servant  came  breathlessly  into  the  room,  holding  a 
letter  in  her  hand,  and  asked: 

"Does  the  baroness  wish  anything  from  the  village? 
Henry  must  go  to  the  post-office;  it  snows  very  hard 
now,  and  perhaps  it  could  all  be  done  at  once." 

The  baroness  answered  in  the  negative,  and  the  old 
woman  quickly  disappeared.  Amry  meanwhile  had 
seated  himself  at  the  table,  and  turned  over  the  leaves 
of  the  book  which  he  had  before  taken  from  his  grand- 
mother's hands. 

"  You  were  too  abrupt,  Amry,"  now  began  his  mother. 
"  Grandmamma  has  placed  all  her  hopes  on  this  in- 
heritance, and  you  speak  of  legacy  hunting.  The 
expression  is  somewhat  too  strong.  Shall  you  go  to- 
morrow ? "  she  asked. 

"Yes,  mamma;  I  must  really,  or  else  I  will  have  no 
time  to  suitably  insinuate  myself  into  Aunt  Stontheim's 


f^gi^fi^fmt.mfi', "WW i."  uui  n  1.  ^piij .J  w,»  H j^^fi.|j|p.i  U'.  Jk ., 


^  Maiden^ s  Choice. 


25 


good  graces,  and  thereby  win  grandmamma's  pardon. 
But  I  tell  you  this,  mamma;  I  will  do  nothing,  abso- 
lutely nothing  which  could  have  even  the  remotest 
appearance  that  I  counted  on  her  money."  He  bent 
his  head  on  the  book  again. 

"That  you  indeed  should  not,  Army,"  confirmed  the 
pale  woman,  anxiously,  "I  beg  of  you!  You  have  this 
evening  just  the  obstinate  expression  upon  your  face 
with  which  grandmamma  defends  her  views.  What 
will  come  of  it  if  two  such  hard  stones  come  together!  " 

But  the  young  man  did  not  answer.  He  looked  at 
the  book  with  an  anxious  expression  of  the  deepest  in- 
terest, and  a  slight  blush  rose  to  his  face. 


"  Here  I  find  something  about  our  beautiful  Agnes 
Mechthilde  upstairs  in  the  ancestral  hall,"  said  he  joy- 
fully. "  Come  here,  little  sister.  This  is  interesting. 
Only  listen!" 


2$  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

The  young  girl  stepped  up  to  him,  bent  over  the  arm 
of  his  chair,  and  looked  curiously  at  the  yellow  paper 
covered  with  writing  difficult  to  decipher.  He  read, 
spelling  it  out  with  difficulty: 

*"0n  the  30th  of  November,  in  the  year  1694,  here 
at  Castle  Derenberg,  the  corpse  of  the  high-born  lady, 
Agnes  Mechthilde,  Baroness  of  Derenberg,  Schulten- 
felde  and  Braunsbach,  a  born  Freiin  Krobitz  of  the 
Trauen  house,  was  solemnly  buried  in  the  vault  of  this 
place,  and  according  to  the  arrangements  made  with 
her  own  hands  during  her  lifetime.  And  the  noble 
corpse  stood  in  the  hall  near  the  chapel,  and  first  a 
large  white,  and  over  this  a  black,  velvet  pall  with 
crosses  of  silver  cloth  sewed  upon  it,  covered  the  coffin; 
above  lay  a  silver  crucifix,  and  on  each  side  were  eight 
small,  but  at  the  head  and  foot  larger,  coats  of  arms, 
richly  embroidered  in  orange-colored  silk — that  of  the 
Derenbergs  as  well  as  that  of  the  Trauens.  The  coffin 
was  carried  into  the  chapel  by  those  of  the  nobility 
who  were  settled  in  the  neighborhood,  and  who  had 
often  banqueted  here.  Next  behind  walked  the  six 
sons  of  the  deceased,  and  then  the  widower,  who  was 
very  sorrowful. ' 

"That  is  tiresome,"  the  young  officer  interrupted 
himself;  "but  hear — listen  further." 

"'And  the  Lady  Agnes  Mechthilde,  Baroness  of  Der- 
enberg, was  a  very  proud  and  clever  lady,  who  bravely 
upheld  her  husband  in  all  his  doings.  She  had  a  long, 
delicate  figure,  and  red  hair,  which  really  was  no  good 
sign,  for  an  old  proverb  says: 

"  Women  and  horses,  they  say. 
Are  they  beautiful,  keep  away. 
Are  they  without  maliciousness. 


•t^UVfrnrnmrni"  II., I  .^"111  1.1    -P" 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  »J 


Truly  'tis  a  happiness. 

But  beware  what  colored  hair. 

If  'tis  red  there's  danger  there." 

"  'Still  she  had  no  more  malice  than  other  women,  and 
was  a  fine,  beautiful  woman,  and  had  a  gentleman  so 
in  love  with  her,  and  she  could  not  bear  him,  that  in 
despair  he  took  his  own  life — which  may  God  pardon 
him! — and  she  found  him  swimming  in  his  blood  before 
the  door  of  her  room,  which  so  frightened  her  that  in 
that  very  hour  she  fell  into  a  hot  fever,  so  that  they 
thought  she  would  unhappily  give  up  her  life.  The  all- 
merciful  God  gave  her  a  happy  convalescence;  still  she 
never  laughed  again  after  this,  and  the  cavalier,  a 
Baron  von  Striitvitz,  is  buried  here  in  the  castle 
garden.'  " 

"What  do  you  say  to  that,  little  mother?"  cried 
Army,  quite  excited.  "  I  believe  that  one  could  take 
his  life  for  her  sake.  It  is  a  wonderful  face.  I  wish  I 
might  take  the  picture  with  me  and  hang  it  in  my  lieu- 
tenant room;  she  must  have  been  a  charming  creature, 
this  Agnes  Mechthilde. " 

"Oh,  Army!"  smiled  the  baroness.  "I  did  not  know 
that  your  first  love  would  be  your  ancestress.  Well,  at 
least  it  is  not  dangerous.     What  do  you  think,  Nelly?" 

Nelly  did  not  answer.  The  gay  mood  would  not  re- 
turn to  the  little  circle;  the  young  girl  sat  silently  bent 
over  her  work,  and  thought  of  what  she  could  tell  Lies- 
chen  for  an  excuse.  Army  sunk  himself  in  the  reading 
of  the  old  book  again,  and  the  slight  smile  had  disap- 
peared from  the  lips  of  the  baroness.  Occasionally  she 
passed  her  hand  over  her  eyes  and  sighed  deeply,  and 
each  time  that  such  a  timid  sigh  came  to  her  children's 
ears  they  turned  their  heads  at  the  same  time,  and  their 


28  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

sad  gaze  rested  for  a  moment  questioningly  upon  the 
troubled  face  of  their  mother;  then  they  resumed  their 
occupation  again. 

"  Her  gracious  ladyship,  the  baroness,  wishes  to  drink 
tea  in  her  room,"  said  old  Sanna,  coming  in.  "  She  begs 
you  to  excuse  her  from  dining  with  you  this  evening; 
the  baroness  has  a  headache." 

The  old  woman  carried  a  salver  with  an  antique  little 
teapot,  and  a  cup  of  rococo  ornamentation.  She  was 
evidently  about  to  take  her  mistress  the  tea,  and  now 
stood  at  the  door  awaiting  an  answer;  she  looked 
closely  at  the  three  figures  as  if  she  wished  to  ascertain 
what  impression  this  news  made  upon  them.  The  old 
woman  knew  too  well  that  a  scene  between  mother-in- 
law  and  daughter  had  again  occurred,  but  this  time 
something  especial  must  be  at  stake,  for  she  had  sel- 
dom seen  her  mistress  so  excited.  She  could  meanwhile 
calmly  make  her  observations  for  a  time,  for  the  dreamy 
woman  beside  the  fire  seemed  not  to  have  heard  hei 
words,  and  only  started  up  when  her  daughter  said, 
pleasantly : 

"We  are  certainly  very  sorry,  dear  Sanna;  and 
heartily  wish  grandmamma  a  speedy  recovery." 

"Is  your  mistress  ill,  Sanna?"  asked  the  baroness. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  replied  Sanna,  and  her  large,  bony 
frame  drew  itself  up  to  its  full  height,  while  the  gray 
eyes  under  the  gloomy  brows  looked  fixedly  at  the 
startled  face  of  her  interrogator.  "The  baroness  must 
have  gone  away  from  here  ill,  for  she  came  into  her 
room  with  a  violent  palpitation  of  the  heart.  I  have 
had  to  mix  her  three  powders.  If  only  nothing  worse 
comes  of  it!" 

Something    reproachful,    impertinent,    was    in    this 


Pf  jw^ '  rs '  -■ 


r-.\»»  -  w  ■;    TTT  1  mr'^^rrrrif  iv;-^  "^^f^*  tt's*'^- 


y^  Maiden's  Choice. 


29 


answer,  less  in  the  words  than  in  the  voice  and  the 
expression  of   the  face,   so  that  the  blood   rushed  to 
the  cheeks  of  the  pale  woman,  from  her  annoyance. 
"I  am  very  sorry,"  said  she,  with  raised  voice,  while 


she  made  a  gesture  of  dismissal;  "and  I  hope  that  the 
baroness  will  feel  better  to-morrow." 

"Very  well,"  replied  the  old  woman,  and  left  the 
room,  but  her  bearing,  and  the  expression  on  her  face 
below  the  folded  cap,  had  become  almost  hostile. 

Army  had  sprung  up,  and  with  dark,  red  face  looked 
after  the  disappearing  servant;  then  he  hastily  went  to 
the  door. 

"  Army,  I  beg  you,"  said  the  baroness,  "  let  her  alone! 
You  will  not  make  it  better  if  you  make  her  speak. 
She  has  always  been  so;  like  her  mistress,  she  cannot 


30  A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


disown  her  hot  southern  blood,  and  then,  she  loves 
grandmamma  idolatrously,  and  is  angry  with  every 
one  whom  she  considers  the  cause  of  a  vexation  to  her. 
Stay,  Army^  let  us  not  wholly  embitter  our  last  even- 
ing; who  knows  when  we  will  see  each  other  again? 
Consider  that  Sanna  came  here  with  your  grandmother 
from  Venice;  that  she  has  lived  with  her  in  the  time  of 
splendor,  and  now  faithfully  shares  her  cares  and  depri- 
vations with  her.  Sanna  has  many  good  sides;  fidelity 
like  hers  is  unusual,  and  you  children — especially  you, 
Army — she  loves  beyond  everything;  besides,  she  is  so 
old  that  we  must  not  be  vexed  with  her  for  many  things. " 

The  young  man  did  not  answer;  he  took  his  cap.  "  I 
must  go  out  in  the  open  air  for  a  few  moments,  or  else 
I  shall  sleep  badly,"  added  he  in  excuse,  kissed  his 
mother's  hand    and  left  the  room. 

He  stood  in  the  lofty,  cold  corridor  and  asked  himself 
where  he  really  wished  to  go.  "  First  I  must  get  my 
overcoat,"  thought  he,  and  went  down  the  long  hall  to 
his  room.  He  felt  so  strangely  to-day;  for  the  first 
time  his  young  mind  had  felt  the  reality  of  life.  To 
be  sure,  he  knew  that  his  family  were  in  needy  circum- 
stances, but,  in  true  boyish  fashion,  he  had  not  thought 
much  about  it.  Now  his  grandmother  had  spoken  to 
him  concerning  this,  and  at  the  same  time  had  held  out 
to  him  the  hopes  of  a  rich  inheritance;  but  there  was 
an  heiress  there — a  little  red-haired  creature,  his  grand- 
mamma had  called  her. 

The  beautiful  Agnes  Mechthilde  occurred  to  him; 
how  did  the  verse  run:  "  But  beware  what  colored  hair. 
If  'tis  red,  great  danger's  there."  The  red  hair  was  not 
to  bring  him  danger  also?  But  no — he  had  no  ten- 
dency to  fatalism. 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  31 

Grandmother  had  said :  "  On  you,  Army,  and  upon 
the  Stontheim  inheritance  I  build  all  my  hopes";  and 
now  he  had  met  her  with  something  about  "  legacy 
hunting."  But  really,  Blanche  —  little,  red-haired 
Blanche  —  there  she  was  again.  Meanwhile  Aunt 
Stontheim  could  divide  between  Blanche,  Nelly,  and 
him — yes,  that  was  a  way  out  of  it.  Might  not  all  yet 
be  well  ? 

He  shivered;  he  stepped  up  to  the  fireplace  and  threw 
a  handful  of  brushwood  into  the  glowing  fire;  the 
flames  seized  upon  the  dry  wood  with  a  crackle,  and 
flickeringly  and  unsteadily  lit  up  the  inlaid  floor.  Its 
reddish  light  made  the  gilded  carving  on  the  old  man- 
telpiece shine  brightly,  and  the  eyes  of  the  young  man 
dreamily  followed  the  windings  of  the  oak-leaf  gar- 
lands under  the  edge  of  the  mantel ;  in  the  middle  they 
surrounded  like  a  wreath  a  shield;  a  proverb  stood 
upon  it,  "Trust  God  for  aye;  luck  comes  each  day,"  a 
saying  of  an  old,  long-past  time.  "  Luck  comes  each 
day,"  repeated  he  softly  again.  Had  he,  then,  never 
read  those  words  before  ?  They  had  a  great  effect  upon 
him  at  this  hour;  could  not,  then,  happiness  come  to 
him  again? 

He  looked  up  at  the  splendid  deer  antlers;  they  had 
all  been  won  by  the  Derenbergs,  as  the  tablets  with 
name  and  date  showed,  all  in  the  woods  which  had  been 
partly  sold,  partly  mortgaged.  But  it  might  be  pos- 
sible— why  not,  then? — that  he  would  hunt  there  again, 
where  his  forefathers  had  held  so  many  merry  deer 
hunts.  No;  away  with  anxiety!  Life  lay  before  him, 
so  full  of  hopes,  so  alluring,  and  "  Luck  comes  each 
day."     That  was  the  right  proverb. 

Sunshine  came  again  to  his  young  face;   his  heart 


3*  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


beat  hotly  in  his  breast,  and  he  felt  the  courage  to  defy 
even  storms.  "  Only  forward,  further  into  the  waves  of 
life!  The  heavier  the  breakers,  the  better!  Pleasure 
or  pain,  I  take  it  as  it  comes.  A  life  without  conflict — 
that  is  no  life.  I  will  beg  grandmamma's  pardon  for 
the  legacy  hunting,"  he  continued.  "Mamma  also 
shall  not  be  so  sad  any  longer — why  see  everything  so 
gloomy?  Even  the  child  hung  her  head.  Yes,  indeed; 
that  was  on  account  of  Liese,  little  rag.  Liese,  pah! 
that  is  not  worth  talking  about,  and  she  will   see  later 

that " 

He  whistled  a  song  to  himself,  as  he  strode  along  the 
corridor  to  return  to  his  mother. 


III. 

On  the  following  morning  Army  stood  before  his 
grandmother  with  a  sunny  face;  he  had  obtained  her 
forgiveness.  To  be  sure,  she  smilingly  shrugged  her 
shoulders  when  he  told  her  his  plan  that  the  still  un- 
known Blanche  could  inherit  with  them.  "  You  are  a 
visionary,  Army,"  said  she  jestingly,  but  did  not  con- 
tradict him,  but  pointed  with  a  slender  hand  to  a  stool 
at  her  feet.  "Sit  down.  I  have  several  things  to  tell 
you  before  we  part. " 

The  old  lady's  room  had  kept  its  luxurious  furnish- 
ings; and  at  first  sight  almost  made  an  impression  of 
splendor.  Whoever  looked  more  closely  saw  indeed 
that'  the  colors  of  the  heavy  crimson  material  were 
faded,  and  the  silk  was  torn  here  and  there;  but  in 
spite  of  this,  the  heavy  folds  of  the  curtains  at  doors 
and  windows,  the  delicate  ebony  furniture,  the  large 
Smyrna  rug,  gave  the  room  an  almost  luxuriantly  ele- 
gant character.  From  the  walls  gay  landscapes  of 
sunny  Italy  looked  down  from  golden  frames;  these 
pictures  were  souvenirs  of  happy  days  which  the 
baroness,  as  the  young,  admired  Countess  Luja,  had 
passed  in  Venice  and  Naples;  and  in  these  recollec- 
tions she  forgot  the  inconsolable  present. 

"  I  do  not  need  to  give  you  a  hint  as  to  your  behavior 
to  Aunt  Stontheim,  Army,"  began  she,  cleverly  avoid- 
ing yesterday's  breach.  "You  will  know  how  to  be- 
3 


34 


A  Maiden' s  Choice. 


have.  Give  her  my  most  cordial  greeting,  and  tell  her 
I  have  become  a  weary  old  woman." 

"I  must  refuse  this  c»mmission,  grandmamma,"  re- 
plied Army  gallantly;  "  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  bur- 
den my  conscience  with  a  lie." 

The  old  lady  laughed,  flattered,  and  giving  him  a 
slight  tap  on  the  cheeks,  she  remarked:  "Do  not  be 
sarcastic  to  your  old  grandmother." 

Army  kissed  her  hand.  "  And  what  else  has  grand- 
mamma to  tell  me?" 

"Yes,  really,  I  must  warn  you  of  something.  You 
are  entering  life  very  young,   and  have  inherited  the 


passionate  blood  of  my  ancestors.  Enjoy  your  youth 
to  your  heart's  delight,  but  guard  yourself  from  a  seri- 
ous liking.  Much  must  be  united  in  the  one  whom  you 
bring  home;  old  family  and  wealth.  Army,  much  wealth. 


.,« «»e»>t!» ..  ^  II I  lu ..  1 1  i|iin|i^;fg^m 


A  Maiden' s  Choice.  35 


It  is  one  of  the  few  ways  which  stand  open  to  you  to 
restore  the  lost  brilliancy  of  your  house.  So,  and  that 
was  all,"  concluded  she;  "  and  if  you  promise  to  write 
to  me  occasionally,  we  have  nothing  further  to  say  to 
each  other." 

The  young  ofificer  smiled. 

"Certainly,  grandmamma,  I  will  write  soon,  for  I 
will  have  much  time;  and  do  not  worry  yourself!  I 
cannot  possibly  think  of  marrying  now;  I  am  only 
nineteen."  He  laughed  aloud;  there  was  no  trace  of 
yesterday's  shadow  upon  his  face.  "May  I  now  bid 
you  good-bye,  grandmamma?"  he  asked;  "I  should 
like  to  once  more  go  up  into  the  ancestral  hall,  to  pay  a 
farewell  visit  to  the  beautiful  Agnes  Mechthilde.  See, 
grandmamma,  I  can  at  once  calm  you,"  he  added;  "  if 
I  do  not  find  a  girl  who  looks  like  her,  then  I  will 
certainly  never  marry,  for  she  is  my  ideal  of  a  wife." 

"  You  mean  the  Mechthilde  with  the  red  hair  ? " 
asked  the  old  lady,  quite  astonished. 

"Yes,"  nodded  the  grandson.  "I  have  a  weakness 
for  red  hair.  Apropos^  grandmamma,  may  I  keep  the 
old  book  which  you  brought  downstairs  with  you  yes- 
terday evening?" 

"Certainly.  It  is  a  family  chronicle,  and  I  meant  it 
for  you. " 

"Thank  you  a  thousand  times,  dear  grandmamma. 
Au  revoir  until  noon \"  He  kissed  her  delicate  hand, 
and  immediately  after  the  red  folds  of  the  portiere  fell 
behind  him. 

Whistling  a  tune,  he  strode  along  the  corridor,  and 
soon  stood  in  the  ancestral  hall  before  the  picture  of 
the  beautiful  Agnes  Mechthilde.  A  dim  half-light 
prevailed  in  the  large  room;  Army  drew  bac'c  the  cur- 


3<5  A  Maiden's  Chaice. 


tain  of  the  nearest  window,  and  soon  the  beams  of  the 
cold,  clear  winter  sun  fell  upon  the  red  hair  of  the  beau- 
tiful woman;  golden  sparks  seemed  to  shoot  from  it, 
and  again  the  eyes  exercised  the  old  charm  upon  him — 
those  dreamy,  unfathomably  melancholy  eyes. 

Then  he  heard  a  light  step,  and  the  little  rosy  hand 
of  his  sister  was  laid  on  his  shoulder. 

"  Here  you  are  hiding.  Army!  We  are  going  to  din- 
ner. Come  down.  Army.  You  must  leave  soon  after, 
and  I  have  not  seen  you  the  whole  morning." 

He  drew  the  young  girl  to  him.  "Look  at  me, 
Nelly,"  he  begged,  and  with  his  hand  raised  her  head 
a  little.     "Are  you  happy,  or  are  you  angry  with  me?" 

Her  eyes  grew  moist  as  she  looked  in  her  brother's 
face,  but  she  smilingly  shook  her  head. 

"Angry?  Oh,  no!  But  please  come,  it  is  so  cold 
here." 

He  took  her  hand,  and  they  went  towards  the  door; 
before  he  closed  it  he  turned  once  more  to  the  picture. 

"But  beware  what  colored  hair!  If  'tis  red,  great 
danger's  there,"  he  whispered  to  himself. 

"  Good-bye,  my  dear,  dear  Army!  "  said  the  baroness, 
when,  later,  her  son  stood  before  her  ready  for  the  jour- 
ney. "God  keep  you;  and.  Army,"  whispered  she,  and 
her  pale  face  was  raised  supplicatingly  to  him,  "  is  it 
not  true,  you  will  not  gamble,  or  be  dissipated?  No: 
promise  nothing.  I  know  you  will  not;  you  will  think 
of  your  sick  mother;  and  now,  for  the  last  time,  fare- 
well, and  write  soon,  very  soon."  She  kissed  him  once 
more  on  the  forehead, and  then,  sobbing, turned  back  into 
the  room.  He  was  still  so  young,  so  young!  May  God 
protect  him  out  there  in  the  great  world;  the  mother 
heart  could  do  nothing  further  than  to  pray  for  him. 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  37 


His  sister,  in  cloak  and  hat,  soon  joined  him.  "  I 
will  accompany  you  to  the  village,  Army,"  begged  she. 
"Yes?" 

Up  in  one  of  the  window  niches  of  the  corridor  stood 
old  Sanna,  and  looked  after  the  departing  one.  "  His 
grandmother  all  over  again,"  murmured  she  to  herself; 
"it  does  one's  heart  good  only  to  look  at  him."  She 
held  her  hand  over  her  eyes  to  see  him  better.  "  He 
will  not  fail,"  thought  she;  "he  can  knock  when  he 
will;  it  will  be  the  wealthiest  and  the  most  beautiful 
one,  and  such  misfortune  as  his  father  had  will  cer- 
tainly not  follow  him.  Oh,  if  my  baroness  could  only 
live  to  see  once  more  a  happy, gay  life  flourishing  here  in 
the  castle !  She  would  once  more  be  young  and  beautiful. 
O  my  Lord,  how  I  would  thank  you  on  xny  knees  for  it !  " 

Meanwhile  the  brother  and  sister  walked  along  down 
the  old  linden  alley;  it  was  a  wonderfully  beautiful 
winter  scene  which  lay  before  them.  Below,  where  the 
alley  ended,  shone  the  white,  snow-covered  mountains, 
framed  by  the  trees;  to  one  side  were  seen  the  houses 
of  the  village,  with  their  snowy  roofs;  from  every  chim- 
ney a  column  of  smoke  rose  straight  up  in  the  cold  win- 
ter air;  and  at  the  other  side  stretched  out  the  forest, 
in  the  splendor  of  its  icy  load ;  over  paths  and  roads 
lay  a  dazzlingly  white  covering;  all  nature  was  still  as 
death;  only  a  flock  of  crows,  with  hoarse  "caw!  caw!  " 
flew  up  from  the  trees,  and  shook  from  the  branches  the 
white  ornament  which  now  slowly  sank  to  earth  in  a 
glittering  shower.  And  over  the  whole  lay  the  rosy 
glow  of  the  setting  sun,  which  faded  in  the  distance  to 
the  most  wonderful  violet  tinge. 

The  young  man's  gaze  wandered  over  the  charming 
landscape. 


38  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"See,  Nelly,"  said  he;  "all  this,  as  far  as  your  eye 
reaches,  was  once  ours." 

"The  paper  mill  also?"  asked  the  little  one,  and 
pointed  to  the  slate-covered  roof  of  the  same. 

"Not  the  mill  itself,  but  a  large  part  of  the  land. 
Grandfather  sold  it  to  the  miller's  father,  once  when  he 
was  in  difficulties — so  grandmamma  told  me.     The  man 

now  proudly  goes  hunting,  while  we "  he  passed  his 

hand  over  his  eyes;  then  he  laughed  and  began  to 
whistle;  he  would  not  grumble  now. 

At  the  grated  gate  of  the  park  he  turned  once  more 
and  looked  back  through  the  long  alley.  There  was 
the  massive  portal ;  the  steps  of  the  broad  flight  were 
covered  with  snow,  and  the  snow  was  piled  up  against 
the  massive  double  doors.  The  castle  stood  out  as 
beautiful  as  a  fairy  tale,  irradiated  by  the  now  intensely 
red  glow  of  the  setting  sun;  the  windows  shone  like 
molten  gold  down  at  the  young  man,  just  as  golden  and 
rosy  as  the  dreams  of  the  future  which  had  unfolded  in 
his  heart. 

"It  must  be  different  here, "  said,  he;  "it  must!  I 
will  it."     He  turned  and  followed  hts  sister. 

Silently  they  walked  along  side  by  side;  at  length 
the  young  officer  stopped  and  looked  at  his  watch. 

"Do  you  know,  little  sister,"  said  he,  "I  must  walk 
quickly?  I  do  not  wish  to  miss  the  post;  you  go  back. 
You  will  only  get  cold  feet  from  the  deep  snow;  fare- 
well, little  one,  and  greet  them  all  warmly  for  me 
again!"  He  bent  down  and  kissed  her  fresh  mouth. 
"  Do  not  let  time  be  too  long  for  you  in  the  old,  lonely 
castle,"  he  added,  and  looked  at  her  compassionately. 

She  shook  her  head.      "Oh,  I  have  Lieschen. " 

They  stood  just  where  the  road  by  which  they  had 


?  '  ■'  ^-i'^^li^^MBiW^^ipy 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  39 


come  turned  into  the  village  street.  Yonder,  between 
fir  trees,  a  road  led  to  the  paper  mill,  and  likewise  led 
to  this  spot;  the  street  came  down  quite  steeply  to  the 
village,  and  a  linden  stretched  its  branches  over  a  snow- 
covered  stone  bench.  From  the  village  plainly  sounded 
a  post-horn. 

"  As  from  thee  I  must  part,  one  farewell  kiss,  my 
heart,"  sang  a  dear,  childish  voice,  imitating  the  mel- 
ody, sung  joyously  and  teasingly,  and  immediately 
thereupon  a  young  girl  stepped  out  from  behind  the  firs. 

She  started  as  she  saw  the  two  figures  there ;  over  her 
childish  face  for  a  moment  flew  a  deep  blush,  and  a  pair 
of  dark-blue  eyes  were  lowered,  as  if  frightened,  to  the 
ground;  but  then  she  at  once  came  nearer,  and  her 
lovely  red  mouth  smiled,  so  that  two  charming  little 
dimples  were  formed  in  her  cheeks. 

"  Ah,  Nelly,"  cried  she,  "  how  lovely  that  I  meet  you ! 
and  you,  Army?"  she  asked  childishly  and  without  a 
trace  of  shyness.  "  Are  you  going  away  again  already, 
and  have  not  once  come  to  the  mill  to  see  us?" 

The  young  officer  had  flushed  deeply  when  he  saw  the 
blue  eyes  fixed  upon  him,  and  took  the  hand  which  she 
held  out  to  him,  child  fashion.  He  was  not  yet  worldly 
wise  enough  to  find  an  excuse,  and  so  she  stood  before 
him.  The  smile  disappeared  from  her  lovely  rosy 
face,  and  she  looked  up  at  him  questioningly  and 
reproachfully. 

"Army  has  to  leave  very  suddenly,"  said  Nelly,  "or 

else "  she  hesitated;  it  was  impossible  for  her  to 

lie  to  the  unsuspecting  child;  she  could  have  wept  from 
shame,  and  looked  up  at  her  brother  as  if  seeking  help. 
But  the  few  words  had  satisfied  the  young  girl.  "  Good 
Army,"  said  she,  quite  relieved;  "I  already  suspected 


4u  A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


you  would  no  longer  come  to  the  mill.  I  was  just 
going  to  Nelly  " — she  laughed  so  th^t  the  dimples  again 
appeared  in  her  cheeks — "  so  as  to  see  if  it  is  true  that 
auntie  says,  namely,  that  you  have  grown  proud.  But 
now  I  can  laugh  at  her,  can  I  not?  You  would  have 
surely  come  to-day  or  to-morrow,"  said  she,  happily. 

He  looked  down  at  her  as  if  lost  in  thought.  "  Hov* 
you  have  grown!  "  said  he  then,  and  his  eyes  wanderea 
over  the  slender  form.  Lieschen  had  really  grown  to 
be  almost  as  tall  as  himself;  she  looked  so  charm- 
ing in  the  little  blue  velvet  jacket,  trimmed  with  fur; 
and  suddenly  she  blushed  deeply  under  his  gaze,  and 
said  quickly: 

"Are  you  going  with  the  four  o'clock  post?  Then 
you  must  hurry.  Army.  I  am  glad  that  I  have  seen 
>ou  once  as  officer."  She  held  out  her  hand  to  him 
again,  and  again  he  laid  his  in  hers;  he  laughed  now 
also;  something  like  a  recollection  of  his  childhood 
came  over  him. 

"The  last.  Army,"  cried  she,  then  struck  him  gently 
on  the  shoulder  and  ran  quickly  away.  For  a  moment 
the  young  man  stood  there  as  if  he  would,  as  formerly, 
hurry  after  her  to  give  her  back  again  her  "last,  "as 
they  had  done  every  time  when  they  had  gone  from  the 
castle  or  the  mill;  they  so  loved  to  tease  each  other 
thus.  But  then  he  hastily  drew  his  overcoat  over  his 
arm,  nodded  once  more,  and  went.  He  did  not  again 
look  around  at  the  two  young  figures  there,  who  looked 
after  him,  arm  in  arm;  he  must  indeed  hurry. 

And  up  there  under  the  old,  snow-laden  linden  a  pair 
of  sweet  blue  eyes  grew  moist,  and  a  voice  from  which 
the  gayety  had  suddenly  so  wholly  vanished  whispered 
a  soft  "Farewell!" 


w^n.sv  «ifnt|jivTDiv^«nRiMppp«Bif|i^ 


■^-■«^i^rf«*™^.cT^»")f«w«pir<yri'!pFW'r<x:fl7:T:'^^ 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  43 


Nelly  also  wept,  and  as  his  form  disappeared  behind, 
the  houses  of  the  village,  she  asked,  anxiously:  "You 
are  not  angry  with  Army,  are  you,  Lieschen  ?  " 

But  Lieschen  did  not  answer;  she  only  shook  her 
head,  and  walked  along  quite  silently  beside  her  friend. 
The  rosy  glow  had  faded  from  the  sky,  and  only  a  pale 
yellow  still  tinged  the  horizon;  the  windows  of  the  old 
castle  looked  down  as  sadly  as  ever  into  the  eternal 
monotony,  and  in  both  young  hearts  was  the  sadness  of 
parting;  the  kiss  which  they  exchanged  for  good-night 
at  the  grated  gate  of  the  park  was  tenderer,  much 
tenderer  than  usual,  and  it  seemed  to  Lieschen  as  if 
she  could  no.t  let  go  of  her  little  friend's  hand  to-day. 
A.nd  now,  once  more:  "  Good  night!  " 


IV. 


-The  rag  mill,  as  the  paper  factory  had  always  been 
called  in  the  whole  region,  lay  charmingly  situated  be- 
tween high  old  trees,  on  the  rushing  little  river.  The 
stately  dwelling-house,  with  the  gilded  weather-vane 
on  the  pointed  slate  roof,  dated  from  the  first  half  of 
the  former  century,  and  had  preserved  the  character- 
istics of  the  former  time.  The  heavy  oak  door,  with 
the  polished  brass  knocker,  was  still  the  same;  the 
many  little  panes  of  the  windows  had  been  replaced  by 
no  modern  plate  glass, and  the  carved  inscription  on  the 
projecting  gray  old  beams  announced  that  this  house  was 
built,  "To  the  honor  of  God,  in  the  year  1 741,  by  Johann 
Friedrich  Ewing,  and  his  wife,  Ernestine,  born  Eisen- 
hardtin."  The  old  dragon-heads  at  the  four  corners  of 
the  roof  were  still  ready  to  spit  out  the  rain-water,  and 
the  gray  sandstone  bench  near  the  house  door,  under  the 
two  large  lindens,  was  still  to-day  considered  the  favorite 
place  of  the  family  on  beautiful  summer  evenings.  A 
large  fruit  garden  surrounded  the  house  on  three  sides, 
in  accurately  straight  rows;  a  shady  jasmine  arbor,  and 
many  currant  and  gooseberry  bushes;  and  this  garden 
was  under  the  especial  rule  of  Auntie.  In  the  whole 
region  there  were  no  such  excellent  apples  and  pears  as 
at  the  rag  mill,  and  the  asparagus  in  Auntie's  carefully 


!P»!l!lUW^!«f»!WWW>'WM,lH",«*l''U™iw*!f«''*l!Wi^^ 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


45 


tended   beds  was  fairly  famous  for   its   delicacy    and 
unusual  size. 

Who  could   have   thought   of   the   rag   mill   without 
Auntie  ?     How  cheerful  it  looked  when  one  crossed  the 


mill  bridge  which  lay  opposite  the  dwelling-house! 
The  old  woman's  head  then  leaned  out  from  behind  the 
snow-white  curtains  to  bid  the  guest  welcome,  with 
bright,  pleasant  eyes;  she  pushed  the  spinning-wheel 


46  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


aside,  and  was  so  quick  that  she  usually  met  the  visitor 
in  the  always-open  house  door,  with  a  pleasant  "God 
greet  you !  How  Minna  " — she  was  the  mistress  of 
the  house — or  "  How  Frederick  " — he  was  the  master — 
"will  be  pleased!  "  and  then  she  tripped  on  ahead,  and 
opened  the  door  to  let  the  guest  enter  the  comfortable 
sitting-room,  and  while  she  took  the  heavy  bunch  of 
keys  from  her  side,  then  she  hurriedly  disappeared  intc 
the  kitchen  or  dining-room. 

The  old  woman  had  lived  in  the  paper-mill  house 
from  her  tenth  year ;  she  was  an  orphan,  and  the  grand- 
father of  the  present  owner  had  brought  up  the  nice 
little  girl ;  so  she  had  been  the  playmate  of  both  his 
children.  She  had  rewarded  this  benevolence  by  fidel- 
ity and  steady  attachment,  had  shared  good  and  bad 
times  with  the  family,  and  had  now  been  for  a  long 
time  a  member  of  the  household,  and  fairly  indispen- 
sible.  The  Ervings  had  always  been  noted  for  their 
kindness  and  benevolence  to  the  poor;  they  had  never 
let  the  right  hand  know  what  the  left  did,  and  the  Lord 
had  blessed  them,  as  Auntie  so  often  said;  they  were 
the  wealthiest  people  far  and  near. 

The  men  of  the  mill  had  always  been  of  true  German 
bone  and  sinew,  whose  hand-shake  was  worth  more 
than  ten  oaths,  and  who  united  a  firm  will  with  ability 
and  unwearied  activity.  "  Pray  and  work"  had  been 
from  early  times  the  family  motto,  which  was  impressed 
upon  the  children  by  the  parents.  But  the  mill  pos- 
sessed other  fame,  which  had  become  almost  proverbial, 
and  that  was  the  beauty  of  the  wives  and  daughters. 
"As  pretty  as  if  she  came  from  the  mill  "  was  current 
in  the  village,  if  one  wished  to  pay  a  pretty  girl  a 
compliment,  and  the  blue  eyes  of  the  beautiful  miller's 


IpHIBU'BijiWJ'.M!.  -  J  WW  ■•*i"-.i*i'PykyJ.JWii««ii"«iA»"iLi,Pi|  iyJWW!(IP'!PPII^B?W?^»wi»-»--   '-.  '•_'  '     iWB?"!^''"'-:  w' W.'ti-lwpS^ffl 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  47 

children  had  for  long  years  caused  much  grief  and 
heartache.     The  old  mill  had  seen  much  happy  life. 

"All  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a  dull  boy  "  had 
also  been  a  proverb  which  was  respected,  and  the 
youthful  pleasures  could  flourish  there  undisturbed. 
Was  it  in  winter  at  sleighing  parties,  and  afterwards 
by  the  warm  stove,  while  punch  and  baked  apples  were 
not  lacking;  or  on  summer  days,  in  the  cool  woods,  on 
warm,  fragrant  evenings  under  the  lindens,  where  the 
young  people  sang  by  moonlight  or  played  forfeits,  and 
the  old  people  talked  of  happy  past  days,  there  was 
always  honest,  true,  golden  happiness.  And  then  the 
daughters  left  the  house  to  follow  their  husbands  to 
their  assured  home,  and  the  sons  founded  homes;  but 
the  eldest  always  brought  a  lovely  wife  home  to  the  old 
mill,  and  the  parents  blessed  the  grandchild  before  they 
died  in  peace. 

They  had  always  had  pleasant,  neighborly  relations 
with  the  Derenbergs;  there  were  natures  on  both  sides 
which  must  highly  respect  each  other;  and  when  the 
baron  rode  along  the  mill  stream  and  saw  the  miller 
sitting  under  the  linden  with  his  wife,  there  always 
ensued  a  pleasant  conversation.  Also  in  time  of  need 
they  offered  each  other  the  hand,  and  in  the  wars  which 
occurred  in  the  years  1807  to  1813  blood  relations  could 
not  have  clung  more  faithfully  together  than  the  proud 
Derenbergs  and  the  Ervings  of  the  paper  mill. 

When  Auntie  came  to  the  house  two  happy  children 
bloomed  for  the  owner.  The  girl  was  her  own  age,  the 
boy  about  four  years  older.  She  grew  up  with  them; 
to  be  sure,  the  miller's  wife,  a  woman  who  was  as  good 
a  housekeeper  as  she  was  pious,  strictly  insisted  that 
the  little  orphan  girl  from  the  poor  day  laborer's  house 


48  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

should  keep  her  own  rank;  she  should  later  serve  as 
maid  in  the  house,  but  Mrs.  Erving  could  not  and  would 
not  prevent  the  three  children  from  playing  together, 
and  that  a  tender  friendship  developed  between  the  two 
girls,  which  became  ever  firmer  with  years.  The  boy, 
on  his  side,  was  a  good  comrade  of  the  two  sons  who 
grew  up  in  the  castle,  and  the  Baroness  Derenberg  loved 
the  blonde,  curly-haired  lad  so  much  that  she  per 
suaded  the  parents  to  let  him  share  the  instruction  of 
her  sons.  So  little  Frederick  came  from  the  village 
school  to  the  school-room  of  the  baronial  castle,  and 
there  has  hardly  ever  been  a  more  thankful  scholar. 

The  two  young  Derenbergs  came  quite  often  with 
their  tutor  to  the  mill,  and,  as  wild  boys,  liked  to  play 
with  Lisette  and  little  Marie — that  was  Auntie's  name 
— hide  and  seek,  and  blindman's  buff.  Later  also, 
when  they  were  grown,  and  had  long  ago  made  the 
grand  tour  of  foreign  countries,  the  eldest  already  en- 
tered upon  the  estate  which  his  father  had  left  behind 
him,  and  the  younger  become  a  gay  cavalry  officer,  they 
still  liked  to  come  to  the  old  house  again  to  visit  the 
friends.  Little  Lisette  had  meanwhile  grown  to  a 
stately  maiden ,  she  possessed  the  proverbial  beauty  of 
the  miller's  daughters  in  abundant  measure,  and  could 
look  at  one  so  winningly  with  her  great  eyes,  which 
were  as  deep  and  blue  as  the  lake  in  the  Derenberg 
forests. 

Marie  had  also  grown  up  a  fine  girl,  as  the  mistress 
of  the  house  said:  she  sprang  and  sang  round  the 
kitchen  and  cellar,  and  had  such  a  roguish,  pleasant 
way  that  one  must  like  vhe  good  creature,  with  her  red 
cheeks.  She  must  now  indeed  address  her  playmate 
only  as  "  Mam'sell,"  and  "  you,"  but  at  times  the  con- 


'^7c-v-3?av^ 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  49 

fidential  Lisette  and  thou  again  came  to  her  lips,  and 
many  summer  evenings  they  sat  tightly  clasped  to  each 
other  in  the  jasmine  arbor,  there  by  the  water,  as  they 
had  done  when  children. 

And  it  was  at  this  time  that  a  sad  story  occurred  to 
the  family,  so  sad  that  the  bowed  parents  thought  they 
could  scarcely  bear  it,  and  the  gay  Marie  became  a 
serious,  quiet  girl;  it  concerned  the  treasure  of  the 
house,  the  beautiful  Lisette. 

The  charming  child  had  truly  often  enough  heard  the 
rhyme  from  her  mother,  who  knew  so  many  proverbs: 

"  Land  and  rank  in  equal  share. 
Equal  years,  make  the  happiest  pair." 

but  how  could  she  think  of  it  when  love  really  entered 
her  young  heart,  which  would  hear  nothing  of  rank  and 
condition.  And  she  loved  for  the  first  time,  with  her 
pure,  confiding  child-heart,  and  the  love  which  was 
cherished  for  her  in  return  was  no  less  true  and  pure 
than  hers.  Then  a  hand  roughly  and  wickedly  inter- 
fered with  the  just-blossomed  happiness;  it  was  a  deli- 
cate, beautiful  woman's  hand,  but  it  tore  the  two  hearts 
so  roughly  asunder  that  one  died  from  the  wound — the 
beautiful  Lisette  closed  her  wonderful  blue  eyes,  after 
a  short,  heavy  illness,  for  ever. 

That  had  been  a  hard  blow  for  the  inhabitants  of  the 
mill.  The  father,  soon  after  his  darling,  worried  him- 
self into  his  grave,  and  the  mother  humbly  bowed  her 
head  to  the  will  of  the  Almighty,  with  sorrowful  face, 
conducting  the  housekeeping  for  her  son.  The  rela- 
tions with  the  castle  were  abruptly  broken  off,  and 
when  the  young  baron  rode  by  on  the  forest  road  at  the 
side  of  his  beautiful  wife,  then  the  bowed  mother  rose 
4 


50  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


and  went  into  the  house,  and  her  son  looked  silently 
down  at  the  ground,  and  did  not  return  his  friend's 
greeting;  but  Marie  set  down  the  bucket  with  which 
she  was  to  fetch  water,  on  the  ground,  and  her  hands 
clenched  themselves  under  her  apron  as  she  looked 
after  them,  and  saw  the  white  plume  wave  on  the  hat 
of  the  proud  young  mistress  of  the  castle,  and  her  fresh 
lips  murmured  something  of  vengeance  and  God's  jus- 
tice, while  her  eyes  sparkled  with  tears.  "  She  is  from 
that  frivolous  Italy,"  she  then  whispered;  "what  can 
she  know  of  how  a  German  heart  feels  when  it  loves 
any  one  so  truly  and  tenderly?" 

Yes,  Marie  really  knew  how  it  is  when  one  loves  with 
all  one's  heart,  for  she  already  had  a  lover,  and  in  the 
evening,  when  she  went  to  her  room,  and  her  Chris- 
tian's last  kiss  yet  burned  on  her  red  mouth,  she  knelt 
down  before  her  simple  bed  and  sent  up  a  warm  prayer 
of  thanks  to  God  that  she  was  a  poor  girl  and  he  only 
a  poor  boy,  about  whom  no  one  troubled  if  they 
loved  each  other,  or  had  any  objection  to  their 
marrying. 

"I  will  not  be  courted  from  the  castle.  Christian," 
she  had  said  at  that  time,  and  as  just  then  a  good  place 
was  free  at  the  mill,  he  left  the  baronial  service  and 
came  to  the  old  mill.  Soon  after  he  married  his  pleas- 
ant, pretty,  always  industrious  little  bride,  and  if  grief 
for  Lisette  had  not  still  always  lurked  in  the  heart  of 
the  young  wife,  she  would  have  been  perfectly  happy. 
But,  in  truth,  happiness  has  wings,  and  suffering  stands 
watch  over  so  many  children  of  men.  Scarcely  a  half 
year  after  there  was  another  green  mound  under  the  old 
lindens  in  the  village  churchyard,  over  which  she  could 
Tiveep;  her  Christian  had  been  taken  from  her  very  sud- 


A  Maiden  s  Choice.  51 

denly.  It  was  long  before  she  rallied  again  from  this 
pain,  before  she  was  able  again  to  think  and  work;  but 
then  it  was  necessary  to  rouse  herself.  The  old  mis- 
tress, weary  of  life,  stretched  herself  on  a  sick-bed,  and 
gave  over  to  the  young  widow  the  care  for  the  large 
house,  to  which  she  devoted  herself  with  all  her  strength. 

That  was  now  long,  long  ago,  and  the  people  who 
had  lived  in  the  mill  at  that  time  had  long  been  dead. 
Marie  had  grown  old,  and  remained  with  the  Ervings, 
honored  and  loved  as  if  she  belonged  to  the  family. 
Frederick  Erving,  the  present  owner  of  the  mill,  the 
nephew  of  the  beautiful  Lisette,  had  found  in  her  a 
second  mother;  for,  when  his  parents  died  early,  she 
took  him  to  her  loving  heart,  and  brought  him  up.  He 
had  grown  up  well  under  her  protection;  and  when,  one 
day,  he  brought  iiome  a  lovely  wife,  she  met  the  young 
couple  pleasantly  on  the  sill  of  the  paternal  residence, 
and  the  young  husband  laid  his  new  treasure  lovingly 
in  her  arms.  "  There,  Auntie,"  for  so  he  always  called 
her,  "now  love  her  a  little,  too,  and  be  a  mother  to  us 
both!" 

So  thus  it  had  been.  And  then  when  Auntie  stood 
at  the  font  in  the  old  village  church,  and  held  a  little 
daughter  of  the  young  couple,  and  a  pair  of  large  blue 
child  eyes  looked  up  at  her,  tears  of  joy  fell  on  the 
child's  cradle,  and  a  warm  prayer  of  thankfulness  for 
all  the  happiness  which  came  to  her  share  rose  to 
heaven.      The  child  received  the  name  of  Lieschen. 

About  this  time  the  catastrophe  broke  over  the  heads 
of  the  residents  of  the  castle,  and  shocked  the  hearts 
in  the  quiet  mill — the  sudden  death  of  Baron  Deren- 
berg.  Auntie  sat  silent  before  her  spinning-wheel,  and 
thought  how  justly  (lod's  mills  grind.      And  when,  one 


52  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


day,  her  darling,  the  little  four-year-old  Lieschen,  and 
another  just  such  little  blonde  curly  head,  came  trip- 
ping hand  in  hand  over  the  mill  bridge,  followed  by  a 
boy,  handsome  as  a  picture,  with  black  hair  and  defiant 
eyes,  who  embarrassedly  played  with  his  whip,  she 
went  to  meet  them,  took  the  sweet  little  curly  head  in 
her  arms,  and  when  the  child  had  nodded  to  the  ques- 
tion whether  she  lived  in  the  castle,  she  carried  her 
into  the  sitting-room  to  the  young  wife,  and  then 
took  the  boy  by  one  hand  and  Lieschen  by  the  other, 
and  led  them  in ;  and  both  women,  the  old  one  and  the 
young,  caressed  the  little  fatherless  children,  until  at 
length  the  little  blonde  girl  threw  her  little  arms  round 
the  old  woman's  neck,  and  the  boy  took,  with  spark- 
ling eyes,  the  apple  which  she  held  out  to  him.  And 
then  when  they  went  home  again  over  the  mill  bridge, 
the  brother  carefully  leading  his  little  sister,  and  both 
turned  their  heads  again  and  again,  and  nodded  back, 
the  young  wife  pressed  her  little  daughter  to  her  heart, 
and,  while  great  tears  shone  in  her  eyes,  she  said: 
"  This  evening  we  must  thank  the  dear  God  that  you 
still  have  a  father,  such  a  dear,  good  one;  see  the  two 
children  there;  they  have  no  longer  a  father,  and  they 
lack  so  much  else,  so  much !  "  From  that  day  dated 
the  friendship  between  the  miller's  Lieschen  and  Nelly 
and  Army. 

At  the  mill,  meanwhile,  life  had  passed  pleasantly. 
Business  throve  splendidly;  the  property  increased  from 
year  to  year,  and  the  miller  could  certainly  have  en- 
joyed his  life  undisturbed,  if  his  wife's  health  had  not 
caused  him  more  and  more  anxiety.  She  came  from  a 
family  in  which  consumption  seemed  to  be  hereditary, 
and  her  mother  had  died  of  the  insidious  disease. 


A  Maiden* s  Choice.  53 

Meanwhile  Lieschen  blossomed  out  even  more  lovely, 
and  that  proverbial  beauty  which  had  once  been  the 
charm  of  the  lovely  Lisette  developed  in  her.  And 
when  Auntie  looked  at  her  all  the  charm  of  recollection 
filled  her  old  heart,  and  she  never  wearied  of  looking 
into  the  large  eyes,  which  were  as  deep  and  blue  as  the 
lake  up  there  in  the  forest.  She  trilled  and  sang  the 
whole  day,  and  joked  with  her  father  and  Auntie;  for 
the  latter  possessed  a  peculiar  dry  humor,  and  her 
speech,  mixed  with  proverbs,  was  a  source  of  the  great- 
est delight  to  the  young  girl. 

Her  father  wished  to  send  her  to  boarding-school, 
but  her  mother  and  Auntie  begged  so  pleadingly  to  let 
the  child  remain  at  home  that  he  granted  their  request. 
And  so  the  pastor  taught  her,  her  father's  friend  and 
her  godfather,  and  his  wife  spoke  French  with  her,  and 
taught  her  to  sing;  and  when  she  sang  in  her  flexible, 
not  strong  alto  voice  the  folk-songs  of  her  home,  then 
father  and  mother  sat  on  the  large  sofa,  and  their  hands 
clasped  each  other  more  tightly,  and  Auntie's  eyes  grew 
moist.  "Just  like  Lisette,"  she  said  then,  half  aloud. 
"God  guard  our  Lieschen!" 

That  Army,  now  he  had  become  a  fine  officer,  had 
not  visited  the  mill  again,  scarcely  surprised  the  old 
woman.  "It  is  the  grandmother's  blood,"  said  she; 
"how  can  he  help  it?  It  is  well  so,"  she  added,  with 
a  glance  at  the  young  girl.  But  Lieschen  would  not 
believe  that  Army  could  have  become  proud — the  same 
Army  with  whom,  not  such  a  long  time  ago,  she  had 
laughed  so  unrestrainedly.  She  must  ask  him  herself. 
She  set  out  for  the  castle,  and  she  met  the  brother  and 
sister  at  the  great  linden.  Army  was  about  to  leave, 
but  it  had  so  easily  been  explained:  he  must  go  away 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


suddenly  or  else  he  would  surely  have  come.    When  she 
then   again   stood   in   the   warm   room  before  the   old 


woman,  who  was  busily  spinning,  she  said:  "See, 
Auntie;  it  is  not  at  all  true  that  Army  is  proud.  He 
could  not  come  because  he  had  to  go  away  very  hur- 
riedly— I  knew  it." 

"  So  ?  "  asked  the  old  woman. 

"Yes;  you  bad  Auntie,  you  fairly  frightened  me, 
you "  pouted  she. 

"Ah,  the  egg  is  always  wiser  than  the  hen,"  replied 
she.     "So  Nelly  told  you  he  wished  to  come?" 

"Yes;  and  Nelly  does  not  tell  lies." 

"  Nelly  is  a  good  child.  I  am  always  glad  when  she 
comes.      She  has  the  Derenberg  face  and  heart — they 


A  Maiden* s  Choice.  55 

were  brave  people,  the  Derenbergs — until  the "  she 

was  silent. 

'  What  do  you  mean,  Auntie  ?  " 

"  No,  when  the  devil  wishes  to  corrupt  people  he  is 
as  beautiful  as  an  angel." 

"  What  do  you  say  ? " 

"  I  say  nothing;  that  is  only  for  me,  but  you  can  be- 
lieve it,  Liesel,  what  the  pastor  preached  from  the 
chancel  on  Sunday,  'Our  God  is  a  just  God,'  that  is  a 
true  saying;  and  now  do  not  look  at  me  so  surprisedly. 
Rather  go  to  the  second  oven.  There  Are  some  fine 
baked  apples  for  you. " 


V. 


Two  years  and  several  months  have  passed  over  the 
land.  Now  it  was  a  May  evening.  Through  the  open 
window  came  a  soft,  delicate  perfume  into  Auntie's  lit- 
tle room.  The  wind  blew  the  young  leaves  of  the  vine 
which  framed  the  window,  and  the  moon  threw  her 
white  light  on  the  clean  boards,  on  the  simple  furniture 
of  the  homely  room,  and  shone  full  upon  the  wrinkled 
face  of  the  old  woman,  who,  her  industrious  hands 
folded  in  her  lap,  sat  by  the  window  and  looked  out  into 
the  garden,  in  which  the  apple-trees  and  the  elders  now 
stood  in  full  bloom.  Auntie  had  her  time  of  rest.  No 
more  lights  in  these  long  evenings,  that  was  a  good  old 
custom  in  her  house,  and  people  like  to  rest  at  times, 
not  only  their  hands,  but  their  thoughts.  These  really 
did  not  rest  at  all ;  for  they  wandered  far  back  in  the 
past,  in  lovely,  distant  days,  and  that  was  a  pleasure, 
a  recreation,  when,  after  the  toil  and  heat  of  the  day, 
twilight  came.  All  was  arranged  and  cared  for  in  the 
house;  the  present  wholly  disappeared  on  this  fragrant 
spring  evening  from  the  gaze  of  the  old  woman,  and 
the  time  of  her  youth  rose  before  her,  fragrant  and 
moonlit  like  the  world  without. 

Auntie  folded  her  hands  and  turned  her  head  back  in 
the  room;  her  eyes  rested  on  a  little  picture  over  the 


^^-'.  '-i^i'^'iyj^-jf'^'VT^. 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  57 

bureau,  which,  in  the  bright  moonlight,  showed  the  sil- 
houette of  a  man's  head. 

"Yes,  yes,  my  Christian,"  she  whispered  softly,  "we 
both  loved  each  other  very  dearly;  and  although  you 
were  only  with  me  for  a  short  time,  I  have  not  forgot- 
ten you,  and  have  been  true  to  you  to  this  day.  To 
think  that  it  must  happen  thus,  it  is  so  sad!  Dear  God 
in  heaven,  what  can  one  not  live  through  in  this  short 
period  of  time!  Man  scarcely  has  a  few  happy  years, 
and  then  comes  sorrow.  Ah,  we  were  a  pair  of  happy 
girls,  my  Lisette  and  I,  and  just  as  we  thought  the 
world  most  beautiful,  weeping  began.  Dear  Heaven! 
my  Lisette,  and  my  good  old  Christian!  "  She  nodded 
her  head  sadly,  for  before  her  eyes  rose  two  green,  turf- 
covered  mounds  over  there  in  the  shadow  of  the  church- 
yard lindens. 

Then  a  blooming  elder  twig  flew  through  the  win- 
dow, and  full  in  her  lap.     Teasing  laughter  rang  out. 

"  Now  wait.  That  is  Liesel,"  said  the  Auntie,  and  a 
mischievous  expression  drove  away  the  sad  one;  now 
she  sat  quite  still  and  leaned  back  in  her  arm-chair. 
Presently  a  girl's  head  surmounted  by  dark  braids  ap- 
peared before  the  window  and  peeped  in. 

"Not  there!"  she  said,  vexedly;  but  then  she  cried 
out,  startled,  for  the  elder  twig  hit  her  face. 

"Fie!     How  horrid.  Auntie,  to  frighten  me  so!" 

"Oh,  what!  Who  was  frightened  first?"  replied  the 
old  woman.  "What,  you  imp,  you  are  not  going  to  act 
offended?" 

The  girl  did  not  answer  that,  but  asked:  "  Are  father 
and  mother  back  from  the  city  yet  ? " 

"  Not  yet;  they  will  not  be  before  eleven,  child.  Go 
to  sleep  quietly.     I  will  stay  awake." 


58  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

"But  what  are  you  thinking  of,  Auntie?"  cried  the 
young  girl,  "on  this  wonderful  evening?  Come  out- 
doors for  a  little  while  under  the  linden.  Only  smell 
the  fragrance  of  the  elder!  You  do  not  know  how 
lovely  it  is  in  the  garden." 

"Ah,  child,  that  is  no  longer  for  me.  Old  people 
can  hardly  be  made  young.  It  is  damp  outside,  and — 
my  stupid  gout — but  you  stay  out  there  and  enjoy  the 
beautiful  evening!" 

"Then,  Auntie,  I  will  come  in  to  you.  May  I?  I 
cannot  be  alone  this  evening,  not  for  the  world." 

"Well,  come,  then,  you  foolish  thing." 

The  head  disappeared  from  the  window,  and  soon 
after  the  room  door  opened,  and  the  tall,  slender,  girl- 
ish figure  in  the  light  dress  entered  the  room. 

"Here  I  am.  Auntie!"  cried  she  gaily,  and  seated 
herself  on  a  stool  at  the  old  woman's  feet.  The  moon- 
light fell  full  on  a  small,  oval  face,  and  showed  a  pair 
of  wonderful,  deep  blue  eyes,  which  looked  pleadingly 
up  at  the  old  woman. 

"Auntie,"  said  she  softly,  "tell  me  something  this 
evening,  please " 

"  Ah !     Shall  I  tell  such  a  big  girl  fairy  stories  still  ?  " 

"Oh,  certainly  not!  Something  about  you,  about 
your  youth.  Auntie. " 

"  About  my  youth  ?     But  what  then  ? " 

"Ah,  Auntie,"  came  back  hesitatingly,  "tell  me  how 
it  was  when  you — when  you  saw  your  lover  for  the  first 
time." 

"Oh,  you — curious  thing!  You  are  much  too  young 
to  know  all.     Why  should  I  tell  you?" 

"  But  I  am  seventeen.  Auntie.  Other  girls  have  long 
been  engaged  at  that  age,  and " 


A  Maiden'' s  Choice. 


59 


** Oh,  see  that!     You  would  like  to  have  one,  too — 

oh,  oh,  if  I  tell  your  mother  that " 

"  Only  do  it,  Auntie,"  cried  the  young  girl,  laughing. 


"  Mother  recently  showed  me,  oh,  so  much  linen,  and 
said:  'That  is  all  for  your  dowry,  Liesel.'  '* 

"  Well,  I  must  say !     But  what  do  you  want  to  know  ?  " 


6o  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"You  shall  tell  me  how  it  was  when  you  saw  your 
dead  husband  for  the  first  time." 

The  old  woman  was  silent,  and  the  young  girl  before 
her  looked  up  at  her  expectantly,  with  great,  moist 
eyes.  It  was  so  quiet  around  them,  only  the  Black  For- 
est clock  in  its  gay  painted  case,  near  the  stove,  said 
its  monotonous  tick,  tack,  and  from  without  sounded 
the  rush  of  the  water  which  fell  over  the  dam  in  soft, 
perpetual  melody. 

'*  Three  lilies,  three  lilies,  they  planted  on  my  grave," 
sang  a  fresh  girl's  voice  down  in  the  garden. 

Auntie  raised  her  head.  "  That  is  Dora.  Only  hear 
how  she  can  sing,  and  was  scolded  to-day.  Yes,  yes, 
love  and  song  cannot  be  restrained.  I  knew  that  song 
when  I  was  young,"  said  Auntie,  and  nodded.  "I  also 
sat  down  there  in  the  jasmine  arbor  with  Lisette,  and 
sang  to  my  heart's  content,  and  she  could  too,  so  very 
beautifully — but  you  wished  to  know,"  she  interrupted 
herself  quickly,  "  where  I  saw  him  for  the  first  time. 
Well,  then,  on  just  such  a  summer  evening  as  this;  it 
iras  somewhat  later  in  the  year,  in  July  perhaps.  I 
walked  along  the  path  which  leads  by  the  park  and 
sang;  I  do  not  know  exactly  what  it  was:  'He's  with 
the  emperor,  he's  with  the  emperor;  a  soldier's  he,  a 
soldier's  he!'  Then  from  the  shadow  of  the  linden 
alley  a  man  stepped  out  and  asked,  'Well,  my  girl, 
must  it  be  just  a  soldier? '  and  because  I  was  so  fright- 
ened I  did  not  answer,  and  walked  on  quickly.  But  he 
followed  me,  and  politely  begged  my  pardon;  and  then 
when  I  looked  at  him  more  closely  I  saw  such  a  dear, 
good  face,  with  a  pair  of  honest,  faithful  eyes,  that  I 
was  not  frightened  at  all  any  more.  Then  we  walked 
slowly  along  together,   and   he  told   me  that   he  was 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  6i 

f  — — — -■-'■■■        ■  -      ■ ■■ 

hostler  at  the  castle  to  the  young  baroness,  who  now  is 
the  grandmother  of  Nelly  and  Army,  who  at  that  time 
had  just  come  there,  and  that  he  had  often  looked  at 
me  when  he  rode  by  the  mill,  for  you  know  I  served 
here  with  your  blessed  great-grandmother.  And  I  told 
him  of  myself,  too;  how  I  had  no  father  and  mother, 
and  then  we  shook  hands  at  the  mill  bridge,  and  he 
said,  'Good  night,  Marie!  '  and  then  we  said  nothing 
else,  but  stood  silently  near  each  other  for  quite  a  long 
while,  and  at  last  I  tore  my  hand  away  and  ran  away 
over  the  bridge  as  fast  as  I  could." 

"How  did  you  feel  then.  Auntie?" 

"Yes,  that  I  do  not  know  exactly  now,  Liesel," 
said  the  old  woman.  "  I  only  know  that  it  was  lovely, 
ah,  too  lovely!  that  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  the  moon  had 
never  shone  down  so  golden  upon  the  old  mill,  and  as 
if  the  heavens  had  never  been  so  high.  I  could  not 
sleep  the  whole  night,  and  still  was  not  at  all  tired  the 
next  day;  and  the  words,  'Good  night,  Marie,'  always 
rang  in  my  ears.  Your  blessed  great-grandmother  had 
much  to  scold  me  for,  the  next  day,  but  I  scarcely  heard 
her;  and  Lisette  and  I  always  smiled  at  each  other 
secretly,  for  at  that  time  she,  too,  was  so  happy  with 
all  her  heart.     Ah,  yes;  love  is  something  wonderful." 

The  old  woman  looked  down  at  the  young  girl, 
whose  eyes  glistened  with  tears.  "  But  tell  me,  Liesel, 
what  is  the  matter  with  you?" 

"Ah,  nothing  at  all.  Auntie,"  replied  she.  "  Do  you 
know,  I  will  go  out  in  front  of  the  door  for  a  little. 
Father  and  mother  must  come  soon.  Good  night. 
Auntie!" 

"Good  night,  Liesel.  God  keep  you!  But  listen, 
child,  if  to-morrow  morning  you  cut  asparagus  again 


62  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


do  not  leave  half  standing,  as  you  did  to-day,  or  else, 
in  future,  I  must  look  after  it  myself,  however  hard  it 
is  for  me.      Good  night!  " 

And  now  the  old  woman  was  alone  in  her  little  room 
again.  She  closed  the  window,  and,  shaking  her  head, 
walked  to  the  bureau.  She  looked  at  her  Christian's 
picture ;  the  moonbeams  had  gone  further,  she  could  no 
longer  plainly  distinguish  the  little  picture,  but  she 
knew  exactly  how  it  looked. 

"Yes,  so  it  was,"  whispered  she,  "out  there  by  the 
mill  bridge  it  began.  Love  has  a  good  memory.  I 
recall  it  this  evening  just  as  well  as  if  we  had  stood 
there  yesterday.  It  is  Liesel's  fault.  What  did  she 
really  wish,  the  foolish  child?" 

And  the  child  has  seated  herself  under  the  linden 
outside,  and  the  mill  stream  rushes  past  her.  Her 
eyes  are  fixed  on  the  path  on  the  other  side  of  the 
water,  which  leads  to  the  castle,  and  over  there  behind 
the  dark  tree-tops,  there  the  proud  moonlit  tower  rises 
to  the  night  heavens  as  she  has  so  often  seen  it,  so  in- 
numerable times.  Why  did  she  feel  so  strangely  this 
evening? 

It  was  the  unexpected  meeting  with  her  old  playmate. 
Army  had  entered  the  arbor  in  which  she  and  Nelly  sat 
reading  aloud  to  each  other.  Quite  unexpectedly  he 
stood  there,  and  laughingly  clasped  his  sister  in  his 
arms,  who  flushed  crimson  with  delight,  fairly  could 
not  speak ;  and  then  he  looked  at  her  quite  astonished, 
and  at  length  addressed  her  as  "Miss  Lieschen." 
"Miss  Lieschen!"  how  that  sounded.  She  must 
laugh,  and  he  laughed  with  her,  but  he  continued  to 
call  her  so.  He  had  grown  larger  and  more  stately 
since  that  winter  evening  when  she  saw  him  for  the  last 


^ipP^PfPT^ _iii  1 «  witc v^^ if^mnjmKwmi    •  ^'pir^.jtj-^Tr-iji > in i.i  f «■ .  i (^jp wr/^.^fcf^'S!.'^ .1^ . li ip|U ,■  IWPBfffVIVfa^H •W"  " '  ■  - ■^.  .:•-  ^.^^LMfi  .ilJJi.ii  ^"-.^  ■.'*'-    P^^STISIW'IWB 


^  Maiden's  Choice. 


^i 


time,  under  the  old,  snowy  linden;  and  now  a  bold  lit- 
tle moustache  covered  his  fresh  mouth.   How  handsome 


he  really  was!  And  now  the  evening  of  Nelly's  birth- 
day had  passed  so  quickly;  they  had  brought  up  all 
childish  recollections,  and  he   had   been    so  gay,    so 


64  A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


pleasant;  his  mother's  face  had  lighted  up  so;  and 
then,  when  she  must  leave,  he  had  accompanied  her; 
they  had  walked  along  the  old  linden  alley  together, 
and  then  the  path  to  the  mill  bridge,  just  as  at  that 
time  Auntie  had  with  Christian;  they  had  spoken  of 
childhood  days,  and  he  had  stopped  at  the  mill  bridge. 
"  Good  night.  Miss  Lieschen!  "  She  must  laugh  again. 
"Good  night,  Mr,  Army,"  she  wished  to  say,  but  it 
would  not  cross  her  lips;  she  only  hesitatingly  held 
out  her  slender  hand  to  him,  which  he  took  like  an  old 
acquaintance;  and  then  he  turned  away  and  went,  and 
she  leaned  over  the  railing  and  looked  in  the  water,  on 
which  the  moonlight  trembled  in  silver  bars,  and  heard 
the  nightingales  sing  in  the  old  lindens,  as  if  in  a  dream. 

"  Will  he  come  to  the  mill  this  time  ?  "  she  asked  her- 
self now,  and  looked  over  at  the  castle.  "  Ah,  yes, 
surely!  If  only  mother  does  not  to-morrow  pay  the 
long-spoken-of  visit  to  the  forester's  wife!"  thought 
she.  "No,  that  would  really  be  too  bad;  and  I  must 
go  with  her  in  any  case." 

And  so  she  sat  and  dreamed  under  the  old  linden  in 
the  spring  night,  and  in  the  young  heart  there  was 
music  like  the  song  of  the  nightingales,  and  the  moon 
smiled  quietly  down,  as  if  she  would  not  disturb  the 
happy,  youthful  dream  which  every  young  heart  dreams 
once;  she  knows  that  they  pass  away  so  easily,  so 
easily! 

Up  in  the  castle  a  yellow  light  shone  until  late  from 
the  windows  of  the  old  baroness.  She  sat  there  in  her 
black  robe,  leaning  back  in  her  arm-chair,  and  her 
hands  played  with  the  white  handkerchief  in  her  lap. 

"And  you  say.  Army,"  began  she  searchingly,  to  the 
yuong  officer  who  sat  opposite  her,  "  Aunt  Stontheim 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  ^61; 

^ f 

herself  expressed  the  wish  that  Blanche  should  visio  us 
here?"  / 

"  No,  dearest  grandmamma,  that  would  be  saying  too 
much,"  replied  he.  "Aunt  Stontheim  is  a  peculiar 
woman,  she  really  never  expresses  a  wish;  she  spoke  of 
how  the  fatigue  of  the  winter  had  affected  Blanche,  and 
asked  me  whether  the  air  of  our  woods  was  good, 
whereupon  I  naturally  understood  the  hint,  and  imme- 
diately offered  our  hospitality. " 

"  Very  precipitous,  my  dear  Army.  1  niust  confess 
that  to  entertain  a  petted  young  lady  here  in  this  deso- 
late, solitary  castle  seems  a  hard  task  to  me.  It  is 
tasteless  in  the  Stontheim  to  accept  your  offer,  and 
especially  for  this  Blanche.  She  can  afterwards  tell 
her  father  how  Castle  Derenberg  entertains  its  guests." 
She  laughed  bitterly. 

Army  was  silent;  he  watched  a  butterfly  which  flut- 
tered around  the  glass  globe  of  the  lamp. 

"What  does  she  really  look  like,  this  Blanche?" 
asked  the  grandmother,  after  a  pause. 

Something  like  sunshine  suddenly  passed  over  Army's 
face.  "  How  can  I  describe  it  to  you,  grandmamma  ? 
I  can  only  tell  you  Blanche  is  an  unusual  apparition; 
one  is  dazzled  when  one  sees  her  for  the  first  time,  and 
the  oftener  one  sees  her  the  more  charms  one  discovers 
in  her." 

"That  is  the  description  of  a  lover,"  remarked  the 
old  lady,  coolly.  "To  my  knowledge,  she  never  had 
any  claims  to  beauty." 

Army  blushed  deeply  under  the  cold  gaze  of  the 
great,  dark  eyes. 

"She  really  is  not  beautiful,  she  has  something 
so " 


66  A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


"Enough!"  the  baroness  interrupted  him,  impa- 
tiently. "  Rather  tell  me  what  is  thought  of  the  rela- 
tionship of  the  aunt  to  Blanche,  and  what  the  latter  has 
to  hope." 

"She  is  considered  aunt's  sole  heiress.  In  the  two 
weeks  of  my  stay  there  at  Christmas,  and  at  aunt's 
birthday,  I  did  not  notice  any  great  fondness  for  each 
other." 

The  baroness  raised  her  shoulders  in  a  scornful  move- 
ment, and,  as  if  she  wished  to  signify  how  little  impres- 
sion this  made  upon  her,  she  asked:  "And  in  what 
manner  do  you  think  to  entertain  the  young  lady  here  ?  " 

"Oh,  grandmamma,  in  your  society;  and  then  mamma 
and  Nelly  are  here." 

"  Nelly  ?  The  poor  thing,  who  can  talk  of  nothing 
but  flowers,  birds  and  old  village  stories  which  she 
hears  down  there  in  the  mill,  where,  alas!  she  runs 
every  day." 

"  But  I  hope,  just  because  the  two  girls  are  so  differ- 
ent, they  will  learn  to  love  each  other,"  Army  ventured 
to  interpose.  "  Perhaps,  through  Blanche,  Nelly  will 
learn  to  know  the  pleasures  of  the  world  in  Aunt 
Stontheim's  house.  I  often  spoke  to  her  of  the  little 
one " 

"A  watering  place,"  declared  the  old  lady  irritably, 
"  would  probably  be  more  desirable  for  the  nerves  of 
the  young  lady  than  our  woods  are.  Have  you  already 
informed  your  mother  of  this  pleasant  plan  for  the  near 
future  ?  " 

"  No,  neither  mamma  nor  Nelly.  First  I  did  not 
wish  to  do  so  before  I  had  discussed  it  with  you,  and 
secondly,  the  child  from  the  mill  was  with  Nelly " 

"Naturally.     It  is  incomprehensible!     I  forbade  her 


A  Maiden  s  Choice.  67 

presence  when  I  was  in  the  room,  once  for  all;  but, 
alas!  she  is  everything  to  your  mother  and  sister,  who 
see  in  her  an  angel  of  goodness  and  beauty.  But, 
Army,  where  in  the  world  shall  this  Blanche  stay? 
Where  shall  I  get  servants?" 

"  I  thought  of  the  room  near  yours,  grandmamma, 
and  picked  out  the  tower  room  for  a  boudoir.  The 
servants  Blanche  will  bring  with  her,   a  maid " 

"  The  tower  room ?  Never!  "  cried  the  old  lady,  start- 
ing up;  her  always  pale  face  in  this  moment  was  of  an 
almost  ghostly  pallor. 

Army  looked  at  her  in  alarm.  "As  you  will,  grand- 
mamma!" 

"Arrange  that  with  your  mother,"  she  added,  hastily. 
"  Let  Blanche  stay  where  she  wishes.  The  tower  room 
remains  locked  as  long  as  I  live.  Now  go  to  rest,"  she 
then  said,  in  a  somewhat  calmer  tone.  "  To-morrow 
we  will  discuss  it  further." 

Army  bowed  over  her  hand,  and  then  went  out. 
Without,  in  the  echoing  corridor,  lay  the  moonlight, 
which  fell  through  the  many  little  panes  of  the  high 
window  full  upon  the  white  stone  floor. 

"Still  the  old  story,"  said  he,  softly.  "What  does 
that  mean  about  the  tower  room  ?  And  I  had  thought 
it  would  be  so  charming  to  arrange  it  for  Blanche " 

"For  Blanche!"  He  stood  still  for  a  moment;  his 
thoughts  flew  back  to  the  great  city,  to  the  elegant  villa 
with  the  tall  mirrors,  and  the  flower-laden  veranda. 
Up  there  in  the  second  story,  behind  the  lace  curtains, 
she  probably  now  lay  and  slept;  she  surely  had  no  sus- 
picion that  the  foolish  cousin  here  in  the  old  castle  had 
spoken  about  her,  had  thought  of  her  so  late  at  night. 
He  entered  his  room;  the  windows  were  opened,  and 


68  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


the  breeze  wafted  a  stream  of  fragrance  of  flowers 
towards  him.  He  walked  across  the  room,  and  looked 
out  into  the  park,  which  lay  peacefully  there  in  the 
bright  moonlight.  Under  the  trees  rested  deep 
shadows,  but  the  road  and  the  large  place  before  the 
house  were  brilliant,  and  a  whole  choir  of  nightingales 
sang  in  the  bushes.  The  remembrance  of  a  winter 
evening  which  he  had  passed  here  in  the  same  room, 
yet  unacquainted  with  life,  timid  before  the  future, 
came  to  his  mind,  and  how  the  old  proverb  there  on 
the  mantel  had  so  surprisingly  brought  him  hope  and 
courage.  "Trust  God  for  aye;  luck  comes  each  day." 
Had  luck  come  to  him?  Ah,  no;  not  luck  itself,  but  its 
rays  had  touched  him. 

He  must  smile,  and  mentally  he  saw  himself  oppo^ 
site  Aunt  Stontheim  in  the  elegant  room. 

The  old  lady's  invitation  to  the  Christmas  festivities 

had  found  him  in  D ,  and  when  he  kissed  the  hand 

which  she  held  out  to  him  in  welcome,  he  had  not 
looked  very  cordial.  Tea  was  served  to  him,  and  the 
feeling  that  he  would  now  be  indescribably  bored 
weighed  upon  him  like  a  nightmare.  Then  all  at  once 
the  portieres  had  been  drawn  back  and  a  girl's  form 
stood  before  him,  as  if  wafted  into  the  room.  The 
chandelier  which  hung  from  the  ceiling  threw  its 
dazzling  light  on  a  little  being  who  seemed  of  fairy- 
like delicacy,  in  the  pale  green  crape  dress,  which  was 
as  if  woven  of  mist,  and  which  fell  about  her  in  trans- 
parent waves  and  folds.  Dazzlingly  white  shoulders 
rose  from  these  waves,  and  over  the  white,  small  fore- 
head, and  waving  down  her  back  in  heavy  abundance, 
with  golden  light,  was  luxuriant,  wonderful  red  hair. 

He  had  sprung  up  and  stared  at  her  as  if  he  saw  a 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  69 


ghost.  The  young  lady  threw  her  splendid  bouquet  of 
white  camelias  on  the  table,  hurried  past  him,  and 
greeted  his  aunt. 

"Agnes!"  he  thought;  "the  beautiful  Agnes  Mech- 
thilde  from  the  ancestral  hall  at  home." 

"Is  it  so  late  already?"  asked  the  aunt,  casting  a 
scrutinizing  glance  over  the  charming  form ;  and  then, 
pointing  to  him,  she  said :  "  Dear  Blanche,  your  cousin, 
Armand  von  Derenberg,  who  will  be  our  guest  for  the 
holidays." 

The  young  lady  glanced  quickly  at  him  with  a  pair 
of  dark  eyes;  he  still  looked  at  her,  he  could  not  help 
it;  she,  indeed,  stood  before  him — the  beautiful  Agnes 
Mechthilde — as  if  she  had  descended  from  her  gilt 
frame.  Yes,  certainly,  he  had  behaved  very  awk- 
wardly; the  blood  even  now  mounted  feverishly  to  his 
head  when  he  thought  of  it.  Then,  at  his  aunt's  re- 
quest, he  had  breathlessly  dressed,  sat  opposite  to  the 
ladies  in  a  silk-cushioned  carriage,  and  entered  brill- 
iantly lighted  rooms;  he  had  flown  over  the  mirror-like 
parquet  with  Blanche  in  the  dance,  had  talked  with 
her,  and  told  her  that  at  home,  in  the  castle,  a  picture 
hung  in  the  ancestral  hall  which  looked  so  like  her,  and 
before  which  as  a  boy  he  had  stood  for  hours  and  gazed 
at  it  without  wearying. 

She  had  smiled  at  that,  and  said  she  would  like  to 
make  a  trial,  and  stand  near  it  in  order  to  see  if  the 
similarity  were  not  greatly  in  imagination.  To  be 
sure,  she  had  not  the  eyes,  the  deeply  melancholy  eyes, 
although  they  were  dark ;  but  this  unfathomable  sad- 
ness was  not  in  them.  How,  indeed,  was  that  possible? 
She  was  so  young,  so  gay,  so  admired!  He  followed 
her  with  his  eyes  when  she  passed  him  in  the  dance," 


70  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

her  loosened  hair  surrounded  her  pale  little  face  like  a 
golden  veil.  He  could  not  look  enough  at  this  wonder- 
ful ornament;  he  envied  every  other  who  danced  with 
her,  and  looked  forward  to  the  holy  evening  for 
whose  celebration  he  had  really  come,  and  which  would 
surely  be  passed  quietly  at  home.  But  just  then  she 
had  pleased  him  least  of  all,  not  that  she  looked  less 
charming — certainly  not.  The  golden  veil  lay  so  won- 
derfully over  the  dark  blue  silken  stuff  of  her  gown; 
the  candles  of  the  Christmas  tree  called  up  shining 
sparks  in  it,  but  the  radiant  smile  was  lacking,  which 
makes  a  face  truly  bewitching.  He  completely  missed 
the  lovely  Christmas  joy  in  Blanche's  black  eyes. 

And  then/<?/^  followed /^Z^",  and  at  last  he  must  leave, 
however  hard  it  was  for  him.  He  begged  the  aunt  to 
be  allowed  to  come  again  soon,  and  in  his  breast-pocket 
he  carried  a  dainty  Russian  leather  cigar-case,  a  keep- 
sake from  his  cousin;  that  had  been  his  treasure,  for 
within  lay  a  long  strand  of  soft  red  hair.  She  gave 
him  the  hair  in  joke,  at  his  request,  so  that  he  could 
compare  it,  and  see  which  was  the  more  golden,  that  in 
the  picture  in  the  ancestral  hall  or  hers. 

The  young  officer  at  the  open  window  hurriedly  drew 
out  the  case,  and  in  the  moonlight  surveyed  the  lock, 
which  at  top  and  bottom  was  fastened  with  a  dainty 
blue  ribbon;  he  pressed  it  to  his  lips,  and  a  whole 
crowd  of  enchanting  pictures  of  the  future  passed 
through  his  mind.  He  saw  himself  again  in  the  castle 
of  his  father;  she  stood  near  him  in  the  summer  night, 
her  goiden  head  on  his  breast  ;  and  outside,  in  the  old 
stone  basin,  after  a  long,  sad  time,  again  rose  a  fresh 
column  of  water,  commencing  new,  happy  life. 

How  beautiful  was  the  dream  of  the  future!     But  it 


;■;:,, ,-i-»f.    <.'^^~-V^f^a 


■?^;"f;'!fjm!jpi>fmgmigfm'l!if'?'m!is^' 


J  tfiimn,  .aniHj^iip^ifliwwwwp 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


ft- 


was  only  a  dream,  and  the  reality!  Army  shuddered; 
it  made  demands  of  him  which  fairly  frightened  him, 
this    desolate,    unhappy   reality.     Where    obtain    the 


means  to  lend  some  brilliancy  and  light  to  the  sad 
need  in  Castle  Derenberg  for  the  beautiful  guest  ?  The 
money,  oh,  the  hateful  money! 

He  looked  dreamily  out  into  the  park.      The  night 


72  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


wind  had  risen  and  whispered  through  the  trees.  **  It 
is  time  to  sleep,"  he  said,  closing  the  window.  In 
dreams  the  beautiful  Agnes  Mechthilde  appeared  to 
him;  she  stood  before  him  in  the  silver  brocade  robe, 
and  over  it  fell  her  hair  like  a  golden  veil.  She  looked 
at  him. with  her  great,  sad  eyes,  and  raised  her  hand  in 
warning.  "  But  beware  what  colored  hair.  If  'tis  red, 
great  danger's  there,"  rang  in  his  ears. 


"  Army,  how  happy  I  am  to  be  able  to  have  a  guest 
for  once,"  said  Nelly  to  her  brother  the  next  morning, 
as  he  walked  at  her  side  through  the  dewy,  fresh,  green 
park.  "What  will  Lieschen  say?  I  must  tell  her. 
Tell  me.  Army,"  she  asked,  coaxingly,  and  leaned 
against  him,  "  how  does  Lieschen  please  you  ?  Has 
she  not  grown  wonderfully  pretty  ? " 

"I  really  do  not  know,"  he  replied  absently.  "I 
'lid  not  notice  at  all;  yes,  I  believe  I  scarcely 
remember " 

"Why,  Army!"  came  reproachfully  from  his  sister; 
"You  are  absent-minded,  or  quite  sad.  Has  any- 
thing unpleasant  happened  to  you?  Can  I  perhaps 
help  you  ? " 

"No,  little  sister,"  laughed  he,  and  passed  his  hand 
jestingly  over  her  blooming  face.  "  You  can  help  me 
least  of  all.  It  is  a  fatal  affair.  I  am  afraid  to  tell 
mamma,  but  cannot  do  otherwise." 

"Oh,  do  not  tell  mamma.  Army,"  begged  the  young 
girl,  standing  still.  She  laid  her  little  hand  on  his 
shoulder,  and  her  eyes  hung  anxiously  on  her  brother's 
face.  "  Please  do  not.  She  is  so  ill,  and  works  so 
much.  Ah,  please  do  not  tell  her  if  it  is  anything 
unpleasant " 

A  slight  embarrassment  was  expressed  in  the  young 
man's  face. 


74  A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


"But,  Heavens!"  said  he;  "what  shall  I  do?  I 
cannot  turn  to  grandmamma;  it  would  be  in  vain,  for 
she  really  is  not  in  a  position  to  help  me "  he  hesi- 
tated; "and,  secondly,  I  do  not  want  to  put  her  in  a 
still  worse  humor;  she  is  very  little  pleased  with  the 
expected  visit." 

"  Army,"  whispered  the  girl,  guessing  the  cause  of 
his  embarrassment,  and  came  nearer  to  him,  "  I  believe 
I  can  help  you.  Wait  a  single  moment — or,  no,  go  on 
to  the  large  maple  tree  by  the  lake,  I  will  be  there  at 
once."  And  hurriedly  she  ran  back  down  the  shady 
path;  the  sunbeams  fell  on  her  simple,  light  dress,  and 
shone  on  the  blonde  curls;  soon  she  had  vanished  round 
the  nearest  turn  of  the  path. 

The  young  man  looked  after  her,  and  then  walked 
on.  What  did  she  want?  She  could  not  possibly 
know.  He  then  sat  down  on  the  stone  bench  and 
looked  at  the  clear  water,  in  which  the  blue  sky  and 
the  tall  trees  were  reflected  so  charmingly.  "  How 
beautiful  it  is  here!  "  said  he,  half  aloud.  "  If  she  only 
has  a  little  fondness  for  natural  beauty,  it  must  please 
her  here." 

Then  soft  steps  sounded  behind  him,  and,  turning 
round,  he  looked  in  his  sister's  face,  flushed  with 
joy. 

"There,  Army,"  said  she,  growing  still  redder,  and 
laid  a  dainty  little  silk  purse  in  his  hand.  "  I  really 
do  not  need  it;  no,  really  and  truly.  Why  should  I? 
And  now  you  will  not  tell  mamma  anything,  will  you  ? " 
The  joy  of  being  able  to  give  something  shone  out 
from  the  lovely  girl's  blue  eyes.  "  Dear,  good  Army," 
begged  she,  "put  it  away  quickly.  It  will  certainly  be 
enough." 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


75 


"  No,  Nelly ;  no !  "  cried  he,  flushing  crimson.     "  Your 

savings " 

She  held  her  hand  over  his  mouth.     "  You  make  me 


i.T^iiSit^«.o:"LLfl'2ilS5'»- 


angry.  Army,"  cried  she.  "If  brother  and  sister  can- 
not help  each  other! — who  knows,  I  may  come  to  you 
some  time.  Now  let  us  go  on ;  say  no  more  about  it. 
See,  what  do  you  think  if  we  should  have  a  boat  here  ? 
I  have  long  wished  it;  then  we  conld  row  with  Blanche 
and  Lieschen,  could  we  not?  Blanche  will  not  be 
proud  ? " 

He  did  not  answer;  at  this  moment  he  seemed  to 


J 6  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


himself  quite  contemptible.       Hastily  he  turned  away 
his  face. 

His  sister  remarked  it.  "Army,"  said  she,  "come 
back  soon.  I  must  now  hurry  to  mamma,  and  " — noth- 
ing occurred  to  her  that  she  should  do  with  mamma — 
"I  am  in  a  hurry,"  cried  she,  and  took  the  nearest 
path  to  the  castle.  I 

He  followed  her  slowly  in  shame  such  as  he  had 
never  known  before.  Yesterday  he  had  not  even  given 
her  a  trifle  for  a  birthday  present,  and  to-day  she  joy- 
fully gave  him  her  saved  treasure.  He  stood  still  and 
opened  the  little  silk  purse;  a  couple  of  dollars  lay 
therein,  and  something  else  wrapped  in  paper;  he  un- 
wrapped it,  and  found  a  gold  piece,  also  a  few  words 
written  on  the  paper  in  his  mother's  handwriting:  "  For 
a  new  dress  for  my  Nelly,"  he  read.  The  young  girl 
had  evidently  not  noticed  the  words,  or  else  she  would 
have  spared  him  the  mortification;  he  thought  of  the 
faded  dress  which  she  had  worn  yesterday  and  to-day, 
and  how  she  must  have  rejoiced  at  the  idea  of  a  new 
one.  A  new  dress  for  five  dollars!  The  bouquet  which 
he  recently  sent  Blanche,  and  which  probably  on  the 
morning  after  the  ball  she  had  thrown  carelessly  aside, 
had  cost  that  much.  He  thought  of  the  dainty  figure 
which  had  never  seemed  dressed  in  any  but  the  heav- 
iest silk  or  misty  crape.  What  contrasts  life  offered! 
There  lay  the  castle  before  him,  so  imposing  with  it& 
gigantic  facade,  its  towers,  and  the  son  of  this  proud 
house  possessed  not  so  much  as — oh,  it  was  distracting! 

He  quickly  turned  and  walked  back;  his  eyes  invol- 
untarily wandered  over  the  wooded  valley,  and  re- 
mained resting  on  the  slate  roof  of  the  paper  mill.  He 
suddenly  laughed  aloud.     "  Yes,  they  have  so  miich  the 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


77 


more,"  said  he,  in  an  undertone;  "one  need  only  con- 
descend to  millers  and  the  like,  and  gold  flows  to  one  in 
streams,  and  all  that  will  fill  the  hand  of  the  little  girl 
with  whom  I  once  played.  The  rag-miller's  Lieschen 
is  the  wealthiest  heiress  in  the  whole  region — really 
laughable,  but  such  is  life."  In  his  dark  eyes,  how- 
ever, there  was  no  laughter;  he  looked  indescribably 


depressed,   the  handsome  young  officer.      His  sistesr' 
money  burned  his  hands   like  fire,   while   he   hastily 


78  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


strode  on,  his  lips  scornfully  pressed  together.  The 
beautiful  dream  of  the  future  had  flown  before  the  op- 
pressing present,  and  the  uncomfortableness  of  his  pecu- 
niary affairs  had  overpowered  him  with  full  force.  He 
took  the  little  note  with  his  mother's  words  and  laid  it 
in  his  pocket-book ;  then  he  walked  on  again,  and  dis- 
covered, turning  into  the  main  path,  old  Henry,  who 
came  to  meet  him  as  quickly  as  his  weary  limbs  would 
permit  him. 

"  The  baroness,  your  grandmother,  requests  the  lieu- 
tenant to  come  to  her  at  once,"  announced  he,  looking 
pleasantly  into  the  young  man's  excited  face. 

The  old  baroness  walked  hastily  up  and  down  in  her 
room.  Her  proud  face  was  flushed  slightly,  and  her 
dark  eyes  glanced  impatiently  at  the  red  hangings  of 
the  door  through  which  her  grandson  must  come.  Her 
hand  held  an  open  letter,  and  from  time  to  time  she 
stood  still  and  glanced  at  the  paper. 

"It  is  incredible, "  said  she  softly;  "these  Konigs- 
berg  Derenbergs!  To  settle  it  thus,  Dio  mio !  What 
doses  the  Stontheim  gives  me  in  this  short  letter!  And 
yet  one  must  thank  God  that  the  matter  arranges  itself 
thus.  How  happy  I  am  that,  in  spite  of  the  coolness 
prevailing  between  us,  I  insisted  that  Army  should 
introduce  himself  to  her."  She  glanced  again  at  the 
letter  in  her  hand. 

"In  Armand, "  she  read,  "I  have  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  a  nice,  lovable  man,  a  young  cavalier  wholly 
of  the  Derenberg  character;  and  in  spite  of  the  short 
time  of  our  acquaintance  I  have  learned  to  love  him 
heartily." 

The  lips  of  the  old  lady  curled  scornfully. 

"  I  am,  as  you  know  from  former  times,"  she  read  on, 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  79 

"  a  woman  who  always  honestly  and  plainly  expresses 
her  opinion — that  we  both  never  understood  each  other 
lay  in  the  too  great  difference  of  our  views;  to-day  we 
are  both  old  women,  dearest  Derenberg,  and  it  is  surely 
time  to  make  peace  for  the  short  remnant  of  life  which 
is  still  ours.  I  offer  you  my  hand,  therefore;  let  the 
past  be  forgotten.  The  fault  was  probably  on  both 
sides.  And  now  I  should  like  to  make  you  the  confi- 
dante of  a  pet  wish  of  mine,  which  concerns  Armand. 
From  him  you  already  know  that  a  young  relative  lives 
in  my  house,  who,  motherless,  now  fills  the  place  of  a 
daughter  in  my  solitary  life,  and  whom  I  love  as  if  she 
really  were  one.  If  all  does  not  deceive  me,  Armand 
is  not  indifferent  to  his  cousin.  I  should  be  truly  glad, 
dearest  Derenberg,  if  the  two  learned  to  love  each 
other;  and,  in  order  to  offer  the  opportunity,  I  send 
Blanche,  under  the  pretext  of  restoring  her  health,  to 
your  lonely,  wood-encircled  home.  May  the  two  young 
hearts  there  find  each  other,  so  that  I  may  yet  greet  in 
Armand  a  son.  You  are  a  clever  woman,  dearest  De- 
renberg, and  I  do  not  need  to  ask  you  to  give  the  young 
people  no  hint  of  my  wishes.  I  hope  that  they  will 
approach  each  other  from  true  liking;  it  is  possible 
that  Blanche's  clever  little  head  suspects  my  inten- 
tions; I  have  not  confided  them  to  her.  And  now  may 
God  care  for  the  rest,  and  bring  it  about  to  our  joy. 
While  in  spirit  I  once  more  offer  you  the  hand  of  recon- 
ciliation, in  the  hope  of  a  speedy  reply,  I  am,  dearest 
Derenberg,  your  Ernestine,  Countess  Stontheim,  ne'e 
Derenberg." 

"It  is  really  magnanimous,"  added  the  old  lady, 
"  and  one  must  truly  put  on  a  good  face  to  this  bad 
trick ;  it  is  refined  in  Stontheim,  but  she  was  always  so. 


8o  A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


Blanche  is  her  heiress,  that  is  clear,  and  now  that  she 
has  learned  to  know  the  boy,  she  would  like  to  arrange 
the  affair  in  a  good  manner.  I  must  bite  this  sour  apple 
with  a  sweet  expression,  and  thank  God  that  it  comes 
about  thus!  She  is  a  malicious  creature,  this  Stont- 
heim.  But  I  must  certainly  give  him  a  hint;  it  seems 
that  this  Blanche  is  not  indifferent  to  him,  and " 

At  this  moment  Army  entered  the  room.  The  grand- 
mother looked  at  him  pleasantly. 

"I  have  a  letter  from  the  Stontheim,"  said  she, 
standing  and  offering  him  her  hand.  "  She  announces 
Blanche;  and  now,  my  heart,  forget  that  yesterday  I 
was  so  unfriendly  in  regard  to  your  plans.  I  had  a 
slight  headache,  and  that  put  me  out  of  temper;  I  am 
really  pleased  at  the  visit  of  the  young  lady." 

Army,  who  had  just  raised  his  curly  head  from  her 
hand,  looked  up  radiantly  into  his  grandmother's  face. 
"Really,  grandmamma?  Thank  you;  you  take  a  hun- 
dredweight off  my  mind;  it  was  very  unpleasant  for  me 
that  a  burden  was  laid  upon  you  which  did  not  please 
you.     May  I  hear  what  else  aunt  writes?" 

The  old  lady  smiled.  "  No,  my  heart,"  said  she,  "  it 
is  not  good  for  one  to  hear  too  much  flattery  about 
himself." 

"Aunt  likes  me?"  he  asked,  quite  excited,  and 
twisted  his  bold  little  moustache. 

"Aunt  thinks  you  are  a  good,  sensible  boy,  and  will 
certainly  become  a  true  old  Derenberg." 

Army's  face  clouded.     "  Is  that  all  ? " 

"Especially  if,"  came  roguishly  from  his  grand- 
mother's lips,  "if  a  beautiful,  beloved  wife  stands  at 
your  side." 

"Did  she  write  that?"  cried  he  hastily,  and  blush' 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  8i 

ing,  while  he  impetuously  seized  her  hands.  "  Best  of 
grandmothers,  be  good!  Tell  me,  did  she  say  anything 
of  her — of  Blanche?  Does  she  think  that  Blanche 
loves  me,  too?" 

"Army!  Heavens,  how  indelicate!  Be  moderate. 
Who  speaks  of  Blanche  ?  I  said  nothing — do  you  un- 
derstand ? — nothing  at  all.  Who  thinks  so  ?  You  are 
only  twenty-one  years  old." 

But  Army  had  thrown  his  arms  round  his  grand- 
mother's neck,  and,  in  spite  of  her  resistance,  pressed 
a  couple  of  hearty  kisses  on  her  mouth,  and  then, 
unceremoniously,  he  rushed  from  the  room. 

"  Orribile! "  said  the  old  lady,  straightening  her 
lace  cap; "he  must  already  love  her  quite  fearfully.  If 
Stontheim  had  seen  him  now  she  would  scarcely  still 
believe  in  the  Derenberg  character."  She  stood  there 
thoughtfully,  and  seemed  to  seek  something  in  the  past, 
of  which  what  she  had  just  experienced  reminded  her. 
Suddenly  a  recollection  of  better  days  rose  to  her  mind. 
She  saw  herself  a  young,  beautiful  girl ;  how  in  happy 
enthusiasm  she  fell  on  the  neck  of  her  half  blind  duenna 
and  kissed  her  stormily.  And  why?  Because  outside 
in  the  soft  evening  air,  on  the  balcony  under  the  bloom- 
ing oleanders,  a  slender,  blond  man,  in  strange-sound- 
ing Italian,  had  told  her  so  much  of  an  old  German 
castle  in  the  midst  of  green  forests  of  oak,  and  of  an 
old  German  woman  with  faithful  blue  eyes.  A  gentle 
expression  lay  about  her  mouth  as  she  thought  of  the 
joy  of  her  young  heart.  "  He  has  my  blood  in  his 
veins,"  said  she.  "  God  grant  that  life  may  more  faith- 
fully fulfil  his  wishes  than  it  did  mine!"  Then  she 
sat  down  in  the  arm-chair  before  her  writing-table,  and 
painted  to  herself  the  future  which  just  began  to  dawn 


82 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


in  rosy  light;  and  before  the  eyes  of  the  thoughtful 
woman  again  stood  the  old  castle  in  all  the  charm 
which  once  surrounded  it. 

Meanwhile  Army  rushed   about   the  park   in  stormy 


unrest.  He  had  first  almost  smothered  his  sister,  and 
whispered  something  incomprehensible  to  her  of  a  new 
dress,  a  blue  one  such  as  Blanche  wore.  He  had  spoken 
to  his  mother,  who  could  not  at  all  comprehend  her 
son's  excited  manner,  of  the  necessity  of  benefiting  her 
suffering  health  by  a  visit  to  a  watering-place,  and  if  it 
were  not  this,  then  certainly  next  year.  He  had  then, 
with  Nelly  and  old  Henry,  gone  through  the  rooms 
which  he  had  selected  for  Blanche,  and  had  arranged 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


83 


this,  and  commanded  that  his  sister  must  promise 
him  her  sewing-table,  and  the  mother's  flower-stand; 
then  he  had  condemned  the  hangings  and  the  pictures; 
had  taken  out  the  latter  and  hung  others  there,  and 
declared  many  times  to  Nelly  that  he  would  order  cur- 
tains and  rugs  from  his  garrison  instead  of  the  old 
faded  stuff,  and  also  a  new  livery  for  Henry.  At  last, 
he  embraced  his  sister,  and  asked  whether  she  really 
believed  that  the  place  would  please  Blanche  a  little, 
and  whether  she  did  not  think  that  the  loveliest  view 


was  to  be  had  from  this  room.  And  without  waiting 
for  her  answer,  he  added:  "  Oh,  little  sister,  how  aston- 
ished you  will  be  when  you  see  her,  how  astonished 
you  will  be!"     Thereupon  he  went  out  into  the  old 


84  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


park,  and  now  wandered  with  hasty  steps  through  the 
over-grown  paths;  he  longed  for  the  time  of  departure, 
in  order  to  be  able  to  tell  her  how  pleased  they 
were  at  home,  at  her  visit;  and  at  length  it  was  even- 
ing, and  after  a  short  farewell,  with  a  "  Happy  meeting 
again!"  spoken  from  a  full  heart,  he  strode  out  into  the 
perfumed  spring  night  to  the  little  village  to  take  the 
post.  At  the  park  gate  he  picked  a  full  cluster  of  elder, 
a  greeting  from  his  home  for  Blanche.  And  at  length 
the  postilion  blew,  and  he  drove  out  into  the  quiet 
country  with  a  thousand  happy  thoughts. 

But  down  there  in  the  mill  a  window  was  softly 
opened,  and  a  girl's  brown  head  leaned  out,  and  wifh 
moist,  longing  eyes  looked  down  the  village  road. 
She  knew  that  he  would  leave  this  evening;  he  had  told 
her  so  himself,  and  she  had  waited  and  waited  for  him 
the  whole  day,  but  he  had  not  come.  And  hark!  there 
rang  out  the  post-horn  into  the  quiet  night.  How  sadly 
that  sounded!  An  echo  came  back  from  the  woods, 
and  gently,  very  gently,  the  window  was  closed  again. 


VII. 


The  next  day  it  stormed.  The  sky  was  a  uniform 
dull  gray,  and  a  soft  rain  fell  on  the  apple  and  elder 
blossoms.  But  Lieschen  stood  in  her  room  in  the  after- 
noon, and  with  a  sad  expression  looked  over  the  wet 
garden  to  the  castle,  whose  towers  seemed  wrapped  in 
a  gray  veil. 

To-day  had  been  such  a  contrary  one — every  one 
looked  cross;  something  unpleasant  had  occurred  in 
her  father's  business.  Auntie  was  vexed  because  Dorte 
had  not  closed  the  stable  door  behind  which  was  the 
hen  with  her  seven  little  chicks,  who  now  were  all  out 
walking  in  the  rain,  which  was  contrary  to  every  rule; 
the  little  things  now  would  have  rough  feathers,  she 
prophesied,  and  there  they  sat  with  protruding  eyes. 
Dorte  had  had  a  severe  scolding,  and  now  went  around 
the  house  quite  disconsolate,  and  with  red  eyes;  and 
besides  all  that,  to-day  young  Mr.  Selldorf  had  arrived, 
who  wished  to  go  into  her  father's  business,  and  had 
dined  with  the  family.  Usually  the  men  of  business 
ate  in  the  house  which  they  lived  in,  for  Mr.  Erving 
did  not  like  to  have  his  family  circle  disturbed;  but 
to-day  he  made  an  exception,  because  he  was  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  young  man's  father.  So  the 
blond-haired  man,  with  the  great  blue  cravat,  had  sat 
there  opposite  Liesel  and  stared  at  her,  which  was  cer- 
tainly not  at  all  necessary,  and  then  the  conversation 


86  A  Maiden's  Choice.  i 

had  turned  on  his  father,  and  his  mother's  health;  and 
that  had  all  been  so  fearfully  tiresome.  Besides  that, 
Lieschen  had  forgotten  to  feed  her  doves  for  the  first 
time  since  she  had  taken  this  duty  upon  herself,  and 
now  she  was  vexed  with  herself.  What  was  the  matter 
with  her?  And  then  she  thought  of  yesterday,  when 
she  had  sat  with  her  work  under  the  linden  before  the 
front  door  until  it  was  dark,  and  every  time  that  a  fig- 
ure appeared  there  between  the  trees  she  had  started, 
and  her  heart  had  beat  violently,  and  then  it  had  always 
been  some  indifferent  person  who  came  along  the  road; 
last  of  all,  the  old  shepherdess,  Marie,  who  was  always 
begging,  and  then — she  had  gone  upstairs  and  wept. 

She  shook  her  head  displeasedly  when  she  must  con- 
fess that  to  herself,  and  blushed  again  and  again  when 
she  how  thought  how  yesterday  evening  she  had  risen 
because  her  thoughts  would  not  let  her  sleep,  and 
opened  the  window  to  listen  for  the  post-horn  which 
the  postilion  blew  from  the  box  of  the  coach  in  which 
Army — yes.  Army — had  driven  away  again  so  soon. 

Now  she  really  must  take  her  work  and  go  down  and 
sit  with  her  mother  in  the  sitting-room;  but  no,  she 
could  not;  she  would  rather  stay  upstairs,  for  Auntie 
would  ask  her  again  why  she  was  so  sad.  And  she, 
least  of  all,  should  know  the  reason,  for  then  she  would 
immediately  say:  "Yes,  yes;  that  does  not  surprise  me 
at  all,  for  they  are  so  proud  up  in  the  castle  that  they 
think  chairs  and  benches  must  bow  before  them.  Who 
was  right?"  No,  she  would  stay  quietly  up  here  and 
read  a  little. 

"Why  is  it  such  horrible  weather?"  said  she  sud- 
denly aloud,  while  she  took  down  Geibel's  poems  from 
the  book-shelves,  "or  else  Nelly  would  come  down." 


A  Maiden* s  Choice.  %1 


She  seated  herself  on  the  little  sofa,  rested  her  head  in 
her  hand,  and  turned  over  the  leaves  of  the  book,  with- 
out having  more  than  a  passing  glance  for  the  charm- 
ing poems,  which  she  usually  so  loved  to  read.  Then 
she  quickly  raised  her  head  and  turned  it  toward  the 
door,  listening,  and,  truly,  there  came  the  well-known 
step  of  Auntie  along  the  hall,  and  immediately  after 
the  good  face,  under  the  snow-white  cap,  looked  in  at 
the  door. 

"Well,  for  Heaven's  sake,  Liesel,  where  are  you  hid- 
ing?" asked  she.  "All  day  you  have  had  a  regular 
vinegar  face,  and  now  you  sit  here  and  read  instead  of 
helping  old  Auntie  downstairs  a  little.  You  know 
that  to-day  is  Thursday,  when  the  pastor  and  his  fam- 
ily come.  Dorte  is  fairly  hateful  on  account  of  the 
scolding  she  got,  and  Minnie  grumbles  with  her  for 
company.  You  might  have  helped  with  the  pigeons  or 
fixed  the  asparagus;  that  is  not  so  easy,  and  you  need 
to  know  how  for  your  future  housekeeping,  for  when  the 
wife  superintends  all  goes  well.  But  it  is  a  pleasure — 
how  pretty  it  is  here!"  she  interrupted  herself,  while 
she  surveyed  the  charming  room — which  was  a  true 
girl's  chamber,  with  its  white  lacquered  furniture,  up- 
holstered with  blue  and  white  cretonne,  and  the  filmy 
window  curtains,  "And  see  how  the  ivy  grows  there! 
Yes,  something  occurs  to  me  that  I  wanted  up  here. 
Here,  Nelly  has  sent  you  a  note.  Henry  brought  it." 
She  took  a  letter  from  the  linen  pocket  which  she  wore 
under  her  apron,  and  handed  it  to  the  young  girl,  who 
quickly  opened  it  and  read. 

"Only  think,  Auntie,"  said  she,  surprised;  "they  are 
to  have  a  visitor  at  the  castle!  Nelly  is  very  pleased. 
It  is  a  cousin,  Blanche  von  Derenberg,  and  Army  i? 


88  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


coming  on  furlough,  and  I  must  visit  them  very 
often." 

"So?"  asked  the  old  woman. 

"Yes;  Nelly  writes  she  would  have  told  it  me  her- 
self, but  to-day  she  has  no  time  to  come,  for  she  must 
help  put  the  rooms  in  order." 

"  They  have  certainly  just  learned  it  ? "  said  the  old 


woman 


Oh,   no,"  said   Liesel.     "Army   was  here  for  that 
reason,  writes  Nelly." 

"  Army  has  been  here  ? "  asked  the  old  Auntie,  and 
looked  in  astonishment  at  the  young  girl,  who  had  sud- 
denly flushed  a  deep  red.     "  When,  then  ? " 

"  On  Nelly's  birthday,"  came  back  softly. 

"Oh,  think  of  that!  And  you  did  not  say  a  word 
about  it,  Liesel.  You  used  to  tell  me  everything!" 
Something  like  anxiety  was  in  the  old  woman's  voice. 
"Tell  me,  Lieschen,  why  were  you  silent?"  she  said 
again,  quickly, 

"  Because  I  did  not  want  to  hear  you  say  again  that 
he  has  grown  proud  and  arrogant." 

"  And  why  did  you  not  wish  to  hear  that,  Liesel  ?  " 

"  Because  it  is  not  true, "  cried  she  violently ;  "  because 
he  only  did  not  have  time,  or  else  he  would  have  come. " 

She  suddenly  burst  into  tears.  All  yesterday's  dis- 
appointment flowed  with  these  bitter  tears  from  the 
heart  of  the  young  girl. 

"But,  Liesel,  my  goodness!  what  does  this  mean? 
It  is  not  sensible  in  you  to  cry  about  such  a  thing. 
What  in  the  world  does  it  matter  to  you  about  Army?" 
The  old  woman  spoke  vexedly,  but  one  could  see  that 
a  load  had  suddenly  fallen  upon  her  heart.  "  I  thought 
it  was  quite  indifferent  to  you,"  she  continued,  "what 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


89 


I  said  about  Army.  Your  way  and  his  no  longer  run 
near  each  other,  as  in  your  childhood.  He  is  now  a 
young  gentleman,  and  you  a  grown  girl.  What  can 
one  think  when  you  begin  to  cry  so  ?  " 

But  Lieschen  threw  herself  on  the  old  woman's  neck. 


5^5^- 


*•  Ah,  Auntie,  do  not  be  vexed !  "  she  sobbed.  "  It  is 
very  childish  in  me;  but  I  cannot  hear  you  speak  about 
those  of  the  castle.  We  always  played  together  so 
prettily,  and  it  seems  to  me  as  if  you  pitilessly  wiped 
away  the  lovely  recollections  when  you  are  angry  with 
Nelly  and  Army." 


90  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


Auntie  shook  her  head.  "Child,"  then  said  she,  "if 
you  knew  what  bitter  misery  had  come  to  our  house 
from  up  there! " 

"  But  can  Army  and  Nelly  help  it  ? "  ' 

"  No— but " 

"  You  always  say,  yourself,  one  should  forgive  one's 
enemies." 

"  It  is  true,  but  it  is  too  hard  to  forgive  a  wrong  when 
it  touches  one  as  nearly  as "  , 

"Ah,  never  mind.  Auntie,"  begged  Lieschen,  coax- 
ingly,  and  smiled  behind  her  tears  up  into  her  face. 
"I  will  not  cry  so  foolishly  again,  but  you  will  not 
scold  any  more,  eh?  Now  I  will  come  downstairs  and 
help  you  roast  the  pigeons  brown  and  crisp,  as  father 
likes  them.  Yes?  And  have  you  already  gotten  rad- 
ishes from  the  garden,  or  shall  I  do  it?"  She  coaxed 
and  teased  until  the  old  woman  pressed  a  kiss  on  her 
mouth,  and  when  they  then  crossed  the  dim  hall  of  the 
upper  story,  in  which  stood  massive  old  clothes  and 
linen  presses,  Auntie  involuntarily  glanced  at  one  of 
the  doors,  and  a  slight  sigh  accompanied  the  glance. 

"  What  is  that  room  ? "  asked  Lieschen,  who  only 
once,  as  a  little  girl,  had  looked  into  it,  but  often  saw 
Auntie  go  in,  and  she  always  locked  the  door  behind 
her  and  stayed  there  a  long  while.  "What  is  that 
room? " 

"That  was  Lisette's  room,"  replied  the  old  woman. 

The  young  girl  nodded  and  ran  quickly  downstairs. 
She  had  indeed  often  heard  something  of  Lisette;  she 
knew  that  she  was  her  great-aunt,  and  Auntie  always 
spoke  her  name  with  a  certain  solemnity;  but  as  they 
had  never  told  her  anything  else  about  her,  she  was  not 
interested  to  know  that  that  had  been  her  room.     But 


fvTT    "     ■"  .  ■  .    .    . 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  93 

now  she  was  ashamed  of  having  cried  so  childishly 
before  Auntie.  What  would  she  really  think?  Prob- 
ably that  she She  blushed  deeply,   and  did  not 

finish  her  sentence,  but  began  to  sing,  while  she  ran 
into  the  sitting-room  to  greet  the  pastor  and  his  wife. 

But  Auntie  followed  her  with  startled  eyes.  "  Mer- 
ciful Heaven,"  thought  she,  "graciously  spare  us  such 
a  second  misfortune!  For  it  will  be  a  misfortune. 
Nothing  good  has  ever  yet  come  from  there  since  the 
old  woman  has  been  in  the  castle.  O  God,  guard  the 
girl's  thoughts!  She  herself  does  not  yet  know  it;  but 
it  is  true  what  I  heard  then — she  likes  him,  Army. 
Oh  dear  Heaven,  what  can  we  do  to  help  it  ? " 

And  Auntie  worried  and  worried,  while  she  prepared 
supper  in  the  spotless  kitchen;  and  when  she  hear(J 
Lieschen's  clear  voice  from  the  sitting-room  she  shooii, 
her  head;  and  at  supper  she  secretly  watched  thf 
laughing  face,  from  which  the  last  traces  of  tears  ha(^. 
disappeared. 

But  it  was  a  happy  circle  which  sat  in  the  cool  din- 
ing-room, around  the  large  round  table  covered  with 
snowy  damask.  The  host  at  the  head,  with  bis  liand- 
some,  kindly  face  framed  by  a  heavy  full  beard;  the 
pastor,  in  whom  one  could  see  how  he  liked  to  be  the 
guest  of  the  friend  of  his  youth;  and  Rosine,  his  round 
little  wife,  who  was  always  cheerful,  although  she  had 
a  whole  row  of  children  at  home,  who  followed  each 
other  like  the  pipes  of  an  organ,  and  for  whom  she 
often  did  not  know  where  she  should  get  their  new 
dresses  and  jackets.  Every  Thursday  evening  at  the 
mill,  where  she  was  to  rest  from  the  exertions  of  the 
week,  she  scarcely  could  sit  on  the  sofa  by  the  hostess 
without  a  child's  stocking  in  her  hand,  on  which  she 


94  A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


zealously  knit;  and  often  Mrs.  Erving  then  smilingly 
laid  a  whole  package  of  finished  ones  in  her  lap.  "  So, 
dear  Rosine,  I  have  helped  you  a  little  there;  now 
leave  your  knitting  alone  for  this  evening,  and  sing  us 
a  song!"  And  then  the  pastor's  wife,  in  her  high, 
light  voice,  sang  some  simple  song.  But  afterwards 
she  mechanically  seized  her  knitting  again,  and  said, 
smiling  at  it  herself:  "Never  mind,  Minna!  I  cannot 
help  it."  The  hostess  was  particularly  well  this  even- 
ing, and  she  and  Rosine  told  each  other  long  stories  of 
housekeeping;  and  Lieschen  joked  with  her  father  and 
the  pastor.  Only  Auntie  was  quiet,  and  this  evening 
had  not  even  a  smile  for  the  praises  of  her  cooking, 
and  did  not  take  a  sip  of  the  fragrant  Moselle  wine 
which  stood  before  her  so  temptingly  in  the  green  glass. 

"  Do  you  know,  pastor,"  asked  the  host,  "that  I  now 
have  a  son  of  our  old  school  friend,  Selldorf,  here?" 

"Oh,  is  it  possible!     And  the  boy  is  to " 

"  Thelx^y  is  to  put  his  nose  in  my  business,  for  the 
old  man  intends  to  start  a  paper  factory — vulgo,  rag 
mill;  besides,  has  had  good  fortune;  he  entered  as 
book-keeper  the  business  which  he  now  owns;  mar- 
ried the  only  daughter  of  his  principal,  and  was  a  made 
man.  He  is  a  clever  fellow,  and  a  thoroughly  genuine 
character.  You  must  see  the  boy;  strikingly  like  the 
old  fellow  at  that  time — the  same  curly  light  hair,  the 
same  eyes.  I  thought  I  was  youn^  nain  when  he 
stood  before  me." 

"  Where  do  you  have  him  ?  " 

"  Down  there  in  the  business  house.  I  do  not  treat 
him  by  a  hair  differently  from  the  other  young  people. 
This  noon  he  dined  here,  but  that  is  all.  You  know  I 
do  not  like  my  family  circle  disturbed."  ; 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  95 

The  pastor  nodded.  "I  really  must  see  him.  But 
what  does  Lieschen  say  to  this?"  he  asked  the  young 
girl  jokingly. 

"Nothing  at  all,  unCle,"  replied  she. 

"That  is  very  little,"  laughed  he.  "But,  apropos^  it 
occurs  to  me,  Lieschen,  that  Army  was  here.  I  saw 
him  come  from  the  post,  where  he  had  just  arrived, 
<i  la  bonheur.  He  has  grown  to  be  a  handsome  boy. 
Did  you  see  him,  little  one?" 

Lieschen  nodded,  but  she  had  grown  crimson. 
Auntie  looked  sharply  over  at  her. 

"But  it  vexes  me,"  continued  the  pastor,  "that  he 
does  not  think  it  worth  while  to  come  and  see  us  once. 
It  is  not  nice  in  him  not  to  know  his  old  tutor.  That 
is  a  trace  of  the  old  baroness." 

"Yes,  that  is  so,  Bernhard,"  jested  Erving.  "In- 
gratitude is  the  reward  of  the  world.  He  probably 
cherishes  it  against  you  for  having  sometimes  pulled 
his  ears." 

"I  pull  his  ears!  Ah,  Erving,  then  you  little  know 
the  boy.  I  think  if  I  had  touched  him  he  would  have 
flown  at  my  head.  Hey,  how  his  black  eyes  sparkled! 
Do  you  know,  Lieschen,  how  you  wished  to  correct  him 
when  he,  in  our  Bible  lesson,  had  not  learned  the  hun- 
dredth psalm  correctly  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  has  his  grandmother's  pride,"  assented  Mrs. 
Rosine. 

"Well,  that  would  be  no  bad  sign,"  said  Erving. 

"You  alone  cannot  complain,"  said  the  hostess. 
"  He  has  not  been  here  again,  either.  But  Nelly 
comes  to  us." 

"A  very  lovely  girl,"  said  the  pastor's  wife. 

"Just  like  her  grandfather,"  now  was  heard  Auntie's 


96  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


voice.  "  He  was  a  man.  Well,  yet  whom  our  Lord 
loves  he  gives  great  suffering." 

"He  surely  lived  very  unhappily  with  his  wife?" 
asked  the  pastor's  wife,  turning  to  the  old  woman. 

"Oh,  ma'am,  where  she  enters  comes  misfortune; 
she  not  only  ruined  her  own  family  but  she  also  brought 
care  and  sorrow  to  other  houses."  \ 

"Yes,  she  must  have  managed  very  badly,"  said  the 
clergyman.  "  One  hears  something  of  the  sort  among 
the  village  people." 

"My  family  can  sing  such  a  song,  eh,  Auntie?"  said 
the  host. 

"  God  knows  it !  "  cried  the  old  woman.  "  What  tears 
have  fallen  on  this  woman's  account!  But  God  has 
counted  them  all,"  she  nodded,  rising  quickly,  and  left 
the  room. 

"It  would  do  no  harm,"  murmured  she,  as  she  en- 
tered her  room,  and  once  more  pondered  over  what 
troubled  her  so;  "  it  would  do  no  harm  if  I  should  tell 
Liesel  the  story ;  it  may  give  her  some  idea  as  to  what 
they  are  up  there." 

Then  she  rose,  took  a  key,  walked  softly  out  of  the 
room,  up  the  stairs,  and  opened  the  door  of  Lisette's 
room. 

It  was  a  small  room  which  she  entered,  and  in  the 
twilight  which  already  prevailed,  one  could  scarcely 
perceive  the  simple  furnishings.  Between  the  windows 
a  bureau,  with  shining  brass  handles;  over  that  a  mir- 
ror in  a  carved  wood  frame,  of  strange  form  at  the  top; 
a  small  bedstead,  green,  painted  with  a  fat  garland  of 
roses;  before  that  a  tiny  table  with  three  legs,  and  an 
inlaid  star  on  its  top,  and  against  the  opposite  wall  a 
high-backed,  thin-legged  sofa,  which  audibly  creaked 


»''i<>"TH"w.'.'l."W-^-.'.'W  '"■J-.W'lMjiii  l-iW]l_JL|iiivi;pj,U!i!fj|wppipBB»f?<»W^W»»-  i.,n."' .        imiap;pf^pws»»!PWiBWPW^ 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  97 

when  Auntie  now  sat  down  on  it.  Over  the  bed  hung 
a  little  black  crucifix,  under  a  gay  picture  which  repre- 
sented a  girl  with  a  dove  on  her  hand;  between  bed 
and  window  a  clothes-press,  with  inlaid  figures  of  dark 
wood,  found  a  place;  while  at  the  other  window  stood 
a  little  sewing-table,  with  a  high-backed  chair  before 
it.  Under  the  mirror  hung  a  withered  wreath,  with  a 
faded  blue  ribbon,  which  contrasted  strangely  with  the 
fresh,  fragrant  bouquet  of  elder  blossoms  in  the  old 
polished  glass  on  the  bureau.  This  token  of  love 
Auntie  placed  here  every  year  when  the  elder  bloomed ; 
the  former  inmate  of  this  room  had  loved  the  blue 
blossoms  so  dearly,  and  at  this  time  a  painfully  sweet 
remembrance  woke  in  the  old  woman's  heart. 

So  she  sat  there  now  this  evening  again,  in  the  beau- 
tiful Lisette's  room,  and  in  her  soul  the  past  and  the 
present  mingled ;  it  seemed  to  her  that  she  was  once  more 
the  fresh  young  girl,  and  the  slender  form  of  her  friend 
again  stood  over  there  at  the  window,  and  her  beautiful 
eyes  looked  so  longingly  over  at  the  southern  tower  of 
the  castle.  "He  is  coming,  Marie;  he  is  coming.  I 
have  seen  the  light,"  she  had  once  so  often  called;  and 
then,  in  rapture,  clapped  her  hands,  and  gone  down 
into  the  garden;  and  there,  in  the  dark  jasmine  arbor, 
had  sat  a  beautiful,  happy  pair  of  lovers  in  all  chastity 
and  honor. 

And  then  ? 

There  she  lay  on  that  bed,  the  beautiful  form  broken 
under  the  load  of  pain,  the  cheeks  snow  white,  and  the 
blue  eyes  full  of  the  hottest  glow  of  fever. 

Was   it   not    enough    to  be  forced  to  see  such  tor- 
ment   once  ?      "  O     God,     protect     my     darling,     my 
Liesel !  "  prayed,  she,  and  laid  her  head  on  the  back 
7  . 


98  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

of  the  sofa,    and  her  hands  sank   in  her  lap,  tightly 
folded,  while  tears  came  to  the  old  eyes. 

Then  a  pair  of  little  hands  seized  hers;  a  soft  cheek 
leaned  against  hers,  and  when  she  looked  up  a  pair  of 
deep  blue  eyes  looked  at  her,  and  a  soft  voice  asked: 
"Why  are  you  crying.  Auntie?  Are  you  still  angry 
with  me?" 

The  old  woman  did  not  immediately  answer;  it 
seemed  to  her  that  at  this  moment  she  saw  a  lovely 
vision,  but  then  she  asked:  "How  did  you  come  here, 
Liesel?" 

"Forgive  me.  Auntie!  I  looked  for  you  in  your 
room  downstairs;  they  were  talking  so  much  about  a 
Baron  Fritz  and  great-aunt  Lisette,  and  then  I  wanted 
to  ask  you  to  tell  me  something  about  them,  and  came 
up  here  after  you." 

"  Then  you  have  come  at  a  good  hour,  Liesel.  Let 
them  talk  downstairs;  no  one  knows  about  it  as  well 
as  I  do,  for  I  experienced  it.  Truly,  I  did  not  wish  you 
to  know  for  a  long  time  how  sad  life  often  is;  but  it  is 
better  for  you — come,  sit  down!  " 

The  young  girl  obeyed,  after  she  had  shyly  looked 
round  the  room,  and  the  old  woman  smoothed  her 
apron;  and  while  she  folded  her  hands  again  she  pre- 
pared" to  speak.  But  then  she  was  silent,  and  looked 
around  her  as  if  embarrassed.  Should  she  tell  the 
young  girl  the  sad  story,  and  bring  hatred  and  rage 
and  confused  distrust  into  her  pure  heart?  The  girl 
who  sat  there  near  her,  in  silent  expectation,  was  still 
a  child.  Army  would  surely  soon  pass  out  of  her 
thoughts.  No,  she  dared  not  relate  this  tearful  story. 
And  still,  if  it  .should  be  repeated,  and  she  had  not 
warned  her  darling!  "Oh,  all  merciful  God!"  mur- 
mured she,  softly,  "  what  can  I  do  ? " 


■UPPPSSP^^W^ 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  99 

"Open  the  window  first,  Liesel,"  asked  she;  "the  air 
is  so  close  here!" 

The  young  girl  opened  both  windows;  the  rain  had 
ceased,  only  a  slight  gentle  dropping  from  leaf  to  leaf 
in  the  old  trees  was  heard,  and  that  fresh,  earthy  smell 
which  always  fills  the  air  after  a  rain,  came  into  the 
room. 

"Liesel,"  said  she  softly. 

"Auntie?"  asked  the  young  girl,  and  stroked  the  old 
face. 

"  Liesel,  you — I  believe  it  would  be  better  if  you  did 
not  go  to  see  Nelly  so  often — afterwards,  I  mean  later, 
when  Army  is  there  again,  and  the  cousin."  She  cor- 
rected herself,  as  Lieschen  turned  her  face  to  her  with 
an  expression  of  surprise.  "  See,  it  is  not — I  think — I 
"  she  hesitated,  and  was  silent. 

"Never  mind  that;  rather  tell  me  about  Lisette," 
coaxed  the  young  girl,  in  the  fear  that  Auntie  might 
again  return  to  the  dreaded  theme  of  before. 

"What  I  would  tell  you  of  Lisette,"  cried  the  old 
woman  hastily,  "  I  tell  you  she  was  the  loveliest  creat- 
ure on  God's  earth,  and  she  died  because  —  because 
— listen,  Liesel,  if  any  one  ever  says  anything  about 
your  great-aunt,  then  contradict  it,  for  there  was  never 
a  purer  heart,  and  also  never  one  that  was  broken  in 
such  a  shameful  manner " 

It  sounded  so  passionately  excited  that  the  young  girl 
did  not  venture  to  question. 

"  Do  not  go  to  the  castle  any  more,  Liesel,"  she  con- 
tinued, while  she  seized  the  girl's  hand  and  pressed  it 
tightly.  "See;  I  cannot  tell  you  how  it  all  was;  it 
will  not  pass  my  lips.  Later  you  .shall  learn  it;  but 
believe  me,  it  does  you  no  good;  the  old  baroness— 
ebe " 


loo  A  MaiderC s  Choice. 


"  Has  that  anything  to  do  with  the  story  of  Aunt 
Lisette?"  asked  the  young  girl.  "Tell  me,  Auntie, 
please,  please!  " 

"I  will  tell  you  neither  yes  nor  no,  Liesel,"  replied 
she;  "but  this  I  tell  you,"  said  she  solemnly;  "it  is 
not  always  evening,  and  if  things  went  worse  with  her 
on  earth,  and  she  came  here  before  the  house  as  a  beg- 
gar, I  would  drive  her  away  and  let  her  go  further;  for 
where  she  enters  is  accursed  for  evermore;  and  once  in 
life  I  will  yet  tell  her  that  to  her  face,  that  she " 

"Auntie!"  cried  Lieschen,  with  a  repel lant  gesture, 
so  frightened  and  so  loud  that  the  old  woman  hushed 
in  alarm. 

"It  is  good,"  she  murmured.  "I  will  say  nothing 
more.  But  you  shall  not  be  as  unhappy  as  Lisette.  I 
could  not  again  live  through  it  if — ah,  my  God!  child, 
I  did  not  wish  to  pain  you,  I  only  wished  to  warn  you, 
Lieschen,"  she  continued,  as  she  drew  the  sobbing  girl 
to  her  breast;  "you  shall  not  miss  your  friend,  not 
for  anything  in  the  world;  but  see,  when  one  is  young, 
sometimes  very  foolish  thoughts  come  into  the  head. 
Lieschen,  child,"  she  whispered  anxiously,  "you  feel 
that  I  mean  well  with  you,  do  you  not?" 

Lieschen    nodded.      "  Yes,    I   know  that   you    mean 

well.  Auntie,   but "     She  was  silent.     She  felt  so 

sad,  so  sad  as  she  had  never  before  felt  in  life. 

Down  in  the  sitting-room  they  were  still  talking 
together  of  old  times,  of  the  beautiful  Lisette  and 
Baron  Fritz;  and  soon  the  pastor's  little  wife  rose, 
seated  herself  at  the  piano,  and  sang,  in  her  tender 
voice,  an  old  song. 

"  Where  is  our  Lieschen  ? "  she  asked.  "  She  must 
sing,  too." 


A  Maiden' s  Choice.  loi 

And  Lieschen  still  sat  upstairs  near  Auntie,  and 
when  she  heard  the  song  downstairs  she  cried,  and  did 
not  herself  know  why.  It  seemed  as  if  a  mist  sank 
down  before  her  eyes,  concealing  all  the  golden  time 
of  youth,  with  all  the  happy  games,  with  sunshine  and 
blossoms;  and  two  laughing  children's  faces  disap- 
peared more  and  more,  and  the  mist  grew  thicker  and 
thicker,  and  built  itself  into  a  high  wall,  and  before  it 
stood  the  proud,  beautiful  mistress  of  the  castle  from 
the  ancestral  hall  over  yonder,  with  her  wonderful 
black  eyes,  and  the  blue  velvet  gown,  and  she  stretched 
out  her  hands  repellantly.  "  What  do  you  want  here  ? 
This  is  consecrated  ground,  and  you  do  not  belong  to 
us.  You  are  the  rag-miller's  Lieschen;  turnback,  or 
else  it  will  be  your  death.  Think  of  Lisette,  the  beau- 
tiful  Lisette,    and "     Then  she  hastily  sprang  up 

and  fled  from  the  room,  and  into  her  own;  and  there 
she  threw  herself  on  the  bed  and  wept  in  hottest  grief 
for  something  which  she  herself  as  yet  scarcely  compre- 
hended, and  which  now,  with  its  disappearance,  made 
her  life  seem  so  empty — so  sad. 

But  Auntie  stood  at  her  door,  and  listened  to  the 
timid  sobbing  within.  "Oh,  heavens!"  said  she, 
softly;  "I  judged  rightly.  She  loves  him — Army.  If 
it  may  only  be  that  I  have  warned  her  at  the  right  time! 
It  is  better  to  weep  now  than  then.  You  poor  thing.' 
Yes,  such  a  first  love  is  quite  too  sweet " 

And  downstairs  the  guests  were  just  leaving,  and 
Auntie  plainly  heard  the  words  which  were  spoken  for 
goodnight.  "Yes,  yes,  Bernhard,  such  is  life,"  said 
the  pastor  in  conclusion  of  some  conversation  which 
had  preceded.  "  It  has  misery  and  happiness.  Ah, 
when  we  now  sit  here  as  old  people,  and  tell  of  some- 


I02 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


thing  of  past  days,  let  us  hope  it  will  not  be  so  sad  as 
the  story  of  this  evening,  and  we  can  then  tell  our 
grandchildren:  'See,  children,  we  fared  better  than  we 
deserved. '  Ah,  Bernhard,  I  already  see  you  as  a  grand- 
father, and  Lieschen  at  the  side  of  a  good  husband,  here 
at  the  mill — it  all  seems  like  the  present.  Now,  God 
keep  you;  farewell  until  Whit-Sunday,  the  second  feast 
day;  the  third  you  come  to  us,  eh,  Rosine?" 


"Good  night,  good  night!  Greet  Lieschen  and 
Auntie!" 

And  it  was  quiet  in  the  house;  only  in  Lieschen's 
room  the  soft  sobbing  was  not  yet  hushed,  and  it  was 
late  when  the  old  woman  went  down  the  stairs  and  into 
her  little  room.  "Now  she  sleeps,"  she  murmured. 
"  God  give  her  a  happy  awakening  and  new  pleasure  in 
life,  and  some  time  much  love  and  blessing!  She  is 
still  so  young,  so  young,  and  life  is  so  sad  and  long; 
yes,  for  most  people,  for  the  most. " 


"J»gi'^,«!.'"H-"  "J'lVW'  il..-ll«U|.J.IiiBSWWPf 


VIII. 

Tke  Saturday  before  Whit-Sunday  had  come;  the  sun 
shone  smilingly  and  golden  from  the  blue  heavens  down 
on  the  earth,  kissed  many  little  roses  awake  in  the 
miller's  garden,  looked  through  the  fresh  white  cur- 
tains into  the  rooms,  and  burned  hotly  on  the  sandstone 
bench  before  the  house  door.  Auntie  stood  in  the  gar- 
den and  picked  flowers  into  her  apron.  Lieschen  helped 
her;  she  wore  a  large  round  straw  hat,  and  garden 
gloves  were  on  her  little  hands,  and  she  selected  and 
cut  the  loveliest  flowers. 

Her  face  had  a  changed  expression;  especially  the 
eyes  looked  quite  different  from  formerly,  and  not  as 
happy  as  was  suited  to  such  a  blue,  laughing  spring 
day,  and  Auntie  was  more  tender  to  her  than  before. 
From  the  roof  a  couple  of  swallows  flew  twittering  past 
her,  and  then  rose  high  up  into  the  blue  ether;  and  from 
the  kitchen  window  sounded  the  gay  talk  of  Dorte  and 
Minna,  who  were  making  plans  for  the  morrow;  and 
would  their  lovers  leave  a  May-basket  before  their  win- 
dows? All  was  spick  and  span  in  the  house;  even  the 
windows  of  the  old-fashioned  rooms  upstairs  were  open, 
to  let  in  the  fresh  air  of  heaven,  and  everywhere  there 
was  an  odor  of  cake.  Over  in  the  office  and  in  the  fac- 
tory rooms  the  clapping  and  stamping  of  the  machines 


I04  A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


had  ceased  early;  the  workmen,  also,  were  resting  at 
home  for  the  feast  day.  Mr.  Erving  gladly  gave  them 
such  a  holiday;  afterwards  they  went  to  work  all  the 
happier. 

The  book-keeper  and  the  two  other  young  men  from 
the  office  had  gone  away  early  this  morning  to  make  a 
little  Whitsun  tour;  only  Mr.  Selldorf  had  remained 
behind,  and  looked  forward  to  the  pleasant  feast  day. 
Whit-Sunday  in  the  country  was  something  wholly  new 
for  him;  and  so,  highly  satisfied,  he  walked  up  and 
down  the  elm  walk  beside  the  mill  stream,  and  revelled 
in  the  sunbeams  which  lit  up  the  water  down  to  the 
bottom  of  the  stream,  and  in  the  crowd  of  little  fish 
who  shot  in  and  out  among  each  other  in  such  sunny 
places;  and  at  times  he  secretly  looked  over  at  the  gar- 
den to  see  whether  a  large  white  straw  hat,  with  corn- 
flower blue  ribbons,  would  appear  again,  under  which 
looked  out  a  pair  of  the  loveliest  deep  blue  eyes  which 
he  had  ever  seen  in  his  life. 

At  the  open  window  of  the  sitting-room,  which  looked 
out  into  the  garden,  sat  Mrs.  Erving,  and  sewed  sky- 
blue  ribbons  on  a  white  dress  for  her  Lieschen  for  the 
festival.  She  had  beckoned  to  her  husband,  who  had 
just  entered,  and  now  showed  him  the  two  figures  out 
among  the  flowers  in  the  garden. 

"See,  Erving,  how  Auntie  pets  the  girl,"  she  said, 
smiling.  "She  has  always  spoiled  her,  but  since  some 
time  it  is  much  worse;  since  Liesel  looked  so  pale  for 
a  few  days  recently,  she  fairly  carries  the  child  on  her 
hands." 

"Never  mind,  Minna,"  replied  Erving.  "She  was 
really  brought  up  by  Auntie;  but,  you  are  right.  She 
looked  a  little  pale,  Liesel;  and  do  you  know  what 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  105 

occurred  to  me  ?  She  has  not  been  to  the  castle  for  a 
whole  week,  and  Nelly  has  been  here  three  times 
already. " 

"Oh,  well,  those  are  girlish  caprices.  Perhaps  they 
have  had  some  quarrel — the  two;  but  she  will  surely  go 
to-morrow.      I  think  she  spoke  of  it." 

"To-morrow?"  asked  Erving.  "H'm;  Selldorf  is 
to  be  our  guest  then;  what  shall  we  two  do  with  him 
alone?" 

"Oh,  she  will  not  stay  up  there  long.  They  have 
guests  at  the  castle — the  cousin  of  whom  Nelly  spoke, 
and  Army ;  but  Lieschen  has  always  gone,  until  now,  and 
wished  them  a  happy  feast  day,  so  she  can  scarcely 
omit  it  at  this  time,"  said  Mrs.  Erving,  coaxingly. 

He  nodded  absently.  "  He  is  a  nice  fellow,  this 
Selldorf,"  said  he,  then.  His  wife  looked  at  him  and 
smiled,  and  he  smiled  back. 

"  Now  I  know  what  you  are  thinking  of,  old  fellow," 
said  she,  happily. 

He  stooped  down  to  her.  "Really,  Minna?  Well, 
and  would  it  be  so  bad,  then  ?  See,  I  must  have  a  son- 
in-law  sometime  who  is  fitted  for  the  business,  and  he 
is  a  fine  fellow.  I  have  learned  to  know  him — the 
same  upright  character  as  his  father." 

"Husband,"  said  she,  and  her  large,  beautiful  eyes 
looked  at  him  almost  pleadingly.  "  I  beg  you,  make 
no  plans.     She  is  still  only  a  child." 

"  Were  you,  then,  older  when  you  became  my  wife, 
Minna?" 

"No,  Bernhard,  but " 

"And  have  we  not  been  happy  together  until  now, 
and  shall  we  not  still  be?" 

She  nodded,  and  took  her  handkerchief  and  pressed 


io6  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


it  to  her  eyes.  "  I  did  not  mean  that,"  said  she,  while 
he  took  her  hand  and  passed  his  arm  around  her;  "but 
I  would  so  gladly  have  her  a  little  longer  for  myself, 

unshared  with  another,  for  who  knows  how  long  I " 

She  broke  off,  and  tried  to  suppress  the  rising  tears. 
"Stay!"  begged  she,  as  she  noticed  how  his  face 
changed,  and  a  sad  expression  came  over  it.  "  I  feel 
so  strangely  to-day;  do  not  go!"  She  smiled  up  at 
him  again.  "  See,  Erving,  I  also  will  be  glad  when 
she  has  a  loving  husband;  but  he  must  be  just  as  good 
and  honorable  as  you — — " 

He  looked  tenderly  in  her  eyes.  "  He  must  be  the 
very  best  of  men,"  confirmed  he;  "and  you  shall 
decide." 

"And  one  who  does  not  seem  to  possess  all  these 
characteristics,  Erving?',' 

"We  will  give  him  the  mitten,  Minna,"  ! 

"Yes,  sir,"  laughed  she;  "but  if  she — if  she  loves 
him?" 

"God  will  prevent  her,"  replied  he,  "from  being 
unhappy." 

"Yes;  may  God  prevent  that!  "  repeated  Mrs.  Erving, 
and  looked  at  the  slender  figure  which  walked  along 
the  garden  path,  with  apron  full  of  flowers.  "  Erving," 
said  she,  playfully,  "  I  must  look  after  your  Selldorf, 
over  there." 

"Do  so,  Minna,"  replied  he,  and  let  her  hand  fall. 
"You  will  learn  to  know  a  brave  character. "  And  then 
he  kissed  her  forehead  pleasantly,  and  left  her  alone 
with  her  dreams.  The  misty  work  slipped  from  her 
lap;  her  thoughts  wandered  into  a  distant  future,  and 
gradually  a  gentle,  happy  smile  settled  about  her 
mouth. 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  107 

And  now  Whit-Sunday  had  arrived ;  before  the  front 
door  of  the  mill  stood  two  straight,  bright  green  May 
trees,  and,  from  the  topmost  twigs,  red  ribbons  floated 
in  the  warm  spring  breeze.  The  pigeons  all  sat  in  a 
row  on  the  roof,  and  cooed  and  plumed  themselves; 
and  Peter,  who  so  proudly  guided  the  spirited  brown 
horses  from  his  box,  had  just  tied  a  red  ribbon  around 
the  whip.  At  the  side  of  the  comfortable,  open  car- 
riage were  fastened  fresh  birch  branches,  and  now  the 
church  bells  rang  out  from  the  little  village,  and  Min- 
nie— Dorte  must  stay  at  home  to-day  and  cook — 
walked  past  the  carriage  in  her  best  Sunday  clothes, 
with  her  hymn-book  in  her  hand,  and  nodded  sweetly 
to  Peter.  Now,  the  master  of  the  house  came  out  of  the 
door,  and  assisted  his  wife  into  the  carriage.  And 
Lieschen  and  Auntie  followed  behind.  The  former 
looked  prettier  than  ever  in  her  filmy  white  gown,  with 
the  blue  ribbons;  and  Auntie  was  resplendent  in  black 
silk ;  her  cap  was  to-day  ornamented  with  lace  and  blue 
ribbon,  and  in  her  hand  she  held  her  hymn-book,  to- 
gether with  handkerchief  and  little  bouquet;  Lieschen, 
also,  had  a  couple  of  rosebuds  in  her  hand. 

Dorte  closed  the  carriage  door,  curtesying. 

"Don't  let  the  chickens  brrn,"  admonished  Auntie. 

"Oh,  no!"  replied  the  former,  and,  looking  at  the 
young  girl,  she  added:  "  ±*ray  for  me,  miss!  " 

Lieschen  nodded.  "  Why,  then,  I  ? "  asked  she, 
smiling. 

"Oh,  because  the  good  God  is  surely  fond  of  you," 
said  Dorte. 

Mr.  Erving  laughed.  "Well,  Peter,  go  on,"  and  so 
the  carriage  rolled  away  to  the  village,  and  its  inmates 
had  enough  to  do  to  return  the  many  greetings  which 


io8  A  Maiden' s  Choice^ 


were  called  to  them  from  all  sides.  Before  the  pastor's 
house  a  whole  shower  of  flowers  flew  into  Lieschen's 
lap,  and  the  little  troop  hid  themselves,  giggling, 
behind  the  fence,  only  to  call  out,  when  the  carriage 
had  passed:  "Good  morning.  Aunt  Lieschen,  Aunt 
Lieschen! " 

At  the  church  door  stood  Mr.  Selldorf ;  he  blushed  to 
the  roots  of  his  hair  when  he  offered  Lieschen  his  hand 
to  dismount,  and  asked  Mr.  Erving's  permission  to  sit 
in  his  pew.  And  so,  during  the  sermon,  he  sat  near 
her  on  the  bench.  Auntie  was  sitting  with  the  parents 
— honor  to  whom  honor  is  due!  Mrs.  Erving  and  the 
pastor's  wife,  who  sat  in  the  preacher's  pew  with  her 
eldest  children,  slyly  nodded  to  each  other.  And  Mr. 
Otto  Selldorf,  as  he  looked  around  the  church,  in  which 
a  numerous  congregation  of  devout  ones  had  assembled, 
thought  he  perceived  that  all  eyes  were  fixed  on  his 
charming  neighbor.  But  she  sat  there,  her  head  deeply 
lowered  under  her  dainty  straw  hat;  her  little  hands, 
folded  in  each  other,  rested  in  her  lap,  and  her  lips 
moved  softly.  Even  during  the  sermon  her  eyes  re- 
mained lowered,  and  it  seemed  to  her  neighbor  once 
that  a  large,  brilliant  drop  fell  quite  quickly  on  the 
white  dress.  But  no;  that  was  indeed  not  possible. 
What  cause  had  a  young,  charming  creature  to  weep  on 
such  a  lovely  Whit-Sunday? 

And  at  length,  when  the  pastor  had  pronounced  the 
blessing,  and  the  congregation  joined  in  the  concluding 
hymn,  she  raised  her  blue  eyes,  and  they  shone  calmly 
and  happily  again. 

As  they  drove  home,  Lieschen  rejoiced  at  the  sun- 
shine, and  the  gay,  animated  life  on  the  village  street. 
Peter  must  stop  at  the  large   linden,  and  she  got  out. 


,U^.II""  ^'.•J*4^!V  :TFT-«'^/'pr»i,'^".^.-;';y^^'"^"r?^^"'^r^T^^"'^^'"^'T^?»  'p^.mi_'?ik**.»1'.V,"*<?":*"-^J'. 


-(4  Maiden^ s  Choice.  109 

"Greet  Nelly  for  me,  Lieschen,"  Auntie  cried  after 
her,  and  nodded  pleasantly  to  her,  and  she  walked  with 
light  steps  along  the  shady  path.  Her  heart  truly  be- 
gan to  beat  a  trifle  loudly  as  she  now  turned  into  the 
linden  alley.  She  would  see  Army  again;  but  that 
could  really  be  wholly  indifferent  to  her.  It  was 
strange  that  such  a  suffocating,  hot  feeling  rose  in  her 
heart;  she  took  off  her  hat  and  walked  more  slowly. 
There  was  the  massive  portal  already,  and  the  two 
stone  bears  seemed  to  raise  their  paws  particularly 
threateningly  to-day.  She  stood  still  and  pressed  her 
hand  to  her  beating  heart;  she  would  have  preferred  to 
turn  back,  but  what  would  Nelly  think,  to  whom  she 
had  formerly  gone  almost  daily?  She  might  believe 
she  was  afraid  of  the  strange  cousin.      No;  forward! 

She  walked  rapidly  toward  the  end  of  the  alley,  but 
stood  still  again  in  surprise;  for  not  far  from  her, 
on  the  turf,  in  the  shadow  of  an  old,  massive  tree, 
which  bordered  the  open  place  before  the  castle,  before 
one  of  the  sandstone  benches  stood  a  set  table,  and  be- 
hind that  sat  Nelly's  mother  in  an  arm-chair,  but  so 
that  her  back  was  turned  to  the  young  girl.  The  old 
baroness  had  taken  the  place  opposite  her,  and  read  a 
newspaper  zealously.  A  number  of  cups  and  plates 
showed  that  they  had  evidently  breakfasted  this  lovely 
morning  in  the  open  air.  Lieschen  did  not  venture  to 
go  further ;  a  never-before-known  shame  took  possession 
of  her,  and  the  thought  of  going  up  to  the  old  baroness, 
who  always  treated  her  in  an  unfriendly  manner,  and 
of  whom  she  thought  with  a  certain  shyness,  since 
Auntie's  insinuations,  had  something  terrifying  for 
her.  So  she  stood,  some  five  paces  away,  when  the  old 
lady  accidentally  raised  her  eyes,  and  discovering  her, 


no  A  Maiden' s  Choice, 


started  so  violently  that  she  knocked  one  of  the  deli- 
cate cups  from  the  table,  which  fell  with  a  crash  upon 
the  stone  bench.  Her  face,  which  a  moment  before 
had  been  deathly  pale,  was  immediately  covered  with  a 
deep  flush,  and,  before  Lieschen  could  approach  the 
table,  she  cried  out  to  her: 

"  How  unsuitable  to  startle  us  in  this  manner!  How 
did  you  come  here  without  one  hearing  your  steps?" 

"Oh,  pray,  mamma,"  said  her  daughter-in-law,  and 
sat  upright  in  her  chair,  as  she  now  saw  the  young  girl's 
slender  figure  near  her;  "Lieschen  certainly  did  not 
wish  to  frighten  you,  and  you  were  as  sunk  in  your 
reading  as  I  in  my  revery;  so  that  we  did  not  hear  her 
coming.     Good  morning,  Lieschen;  how  are  you?" 

She  took  the  hand,  which  the  girl  permitted  unresist- 
ingly, for  she  still  stood  drawn  up  to  her  full  height, 
and  looked  at  the  old  lady,  whose  dark  eyes  rested  on 
her,  sparkling  with  rage. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  she  then,  softly;  "I  had 
been  here  some  moments  before  I  ventured  to  make 
myself  noticed,  for  I  feared  to  disturb  you. "  It  sounded 
calmly  after  the  passionate  words  of  the  old  baroness. 
"And,"  she  continued,  "I  have  only  come  for  a  few 
moments,  to  wish  you  a  happy  feast  day,  as  I  have 
done  each  year,  and  to  see  Nelly." 

"Sit  down,  Lieschen,"  begged  the  younger  baroness. 
"  Nelly  will  be  here  at  once;  she  has  gone  into  the  park 
for  a  little  with  Blanche  and  Army,  and — there  she  is. 
I  hear  her  speaking." 

The  old  lady  shrugged  her  shoulders  impatiently  as 
Lieschen  quietly  seated  herself  on  the  sandstone  bench, 
and  sympathetically  inquired  after  the  health  of  the 
pale  woman,  from  whose  cheeks  the  fleeting  red,  which 


PIBPJP!Pn^»W^WS?PHPW».!.yiW1WT*'!'''  "'  ^  "(t- .*?■'.  •  t',"'"»."<  'W"  .H^W».JiU|piut!u  nfijii  J 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  1 1 1 

the  scarcely  polite  words  of  her  mother-in-law  had 
painted  there,  had  disappeared  again. 

Meanwhile  the  voices  came  nearer,  and  Lieschen 
could  plainly  distinguish  the  resonant,  deep  organ  of 
her  former  playmate.  Again  that  suffocating,  hot  feel- 
ing overcame  her,  and,  for  a  moment,  confused  her  calm 
thinking;  but  then  her  eyes  rested  with  an  expression 
of  the  greatest  astonishment  upon  the  place  which  lay 
before  her,  in  the  bright  sunshine — for,  at  one  side,  by 
the  empty  stone  basin  of  the  fountain,  stood  Army,  and 
spoke  with  a  lady ;  yes,  but  was  it  a  grown  lady,  or  only 
a  child,  who  sat  there  with  such  fairy-like  daintiness  on 
a  horse?  She  hung  in  the  saddle  like  a  flower,  and 
now  she  cried,  in  a  soft  voice,  but  with  the  accent  of  a 
spoiled  child:  "Let  go  of  the  reins,  Army;  let  go.  I 
wish  to  ride  alone  now  for  a  little  before  Aunt!  " 

The  young  man  stepped  back,  and  the  horse  began  to 
come  towards  them  in  slow,  Spanish  gait.  At  each 
movement  which  the  animal  made,  the  white,  lace-edged 
dress  flew  like  a  misty  cloud  about  the  dainty  form 
which  sat  there  so  securely  on  its  back.  The  eyes  in 
the  pale  face  were  lowered,  but  with  golden  light  in 
the  hot  sunshine,  over  the  white  forehead,  and  waving 
down  over  her  back,  shone  luxuriant,  red,  wonderful  hair, 

"Superb,  Blanche!"  cried  Army,  whose  glance  hung 
as  if  spell-bound  on  the  charming  apparition;  "superb! 
Miss  Elise  in  Renz  does  not  ride  better." 

He  walked  along  slowly  at  some  distance  from  her, 
and  stood  close  by  the  table.  Just  then  the  horse 
turned,  and  came  directly  toward  the  little  group.  The 
eyes  of  the  old  baroness  sparkled  with  joy.  She  had 
once  been  a  much-admired  rider;  and  sport  is  indeed 
one  of  the  noblest  passions. 


113 


A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


"  Merariglia,  my  angel !  "  cried  she,  as  the  young  lady 
now  stopped,  and,  assisted  by  Army,  slid  lightly  from 
the  saddle.  "  You  have  the  horse  fabulously  under  your 
control ;  but,  mia  cara^  how  can  you  ride  in  the  blazing 


sun  without  a  hat?  I  implore  you — your  wonderful 
complexion.      In  the  country  we  must  always " 

"  Do  not  worry,  aunt,  I  never  burn."  She  sank  care- 
lessly into  a  hammock,  which  Army  steadied  for  her, 
without  noticing  the  young  girl,  who  had  risen  the 
moment  the  rider  dismounted. 

"Army,  pray  speak  to  Lieschen, "  said  his  mother, 
somewhat  admonishingly.  "And  you,  dear  Blanche, 
permit   me   to   introduce  to  you   Nelly's  friend,    Miss 


'iiJJV 'l'J«'t  ^H"^!?!^!-''  •■■    -y    -.    .'J!"»M»S"»^'^'WPWB^«(P«W» 


A  MaiderC  s  Choice.  113 

Elizabeth  Erving.  But  where  is  Nelly?"  she  asked, 
impatiently,  while  Blanche  raised  her  eyelashes,  and, 
with  a  slight  nod  of  the  head,  but  without  changing 
her  comfortable  position,  replied  to  the  young  girl's 
graceful  bow.  But  the  dark  eyes  remained  fixed  upon 
her  for  a  moment  in  wonder;  then  she  seized  the  ivory 
fan  which  hung  at  her  side,  unfolded  it,  and,  behind  this 
protection,  drew  down  her  little  mouth  in  a  yawn. 

Army  had  bowed  politely,  and  replied  to  his  mother's 
question  where  Nelly  was,  that  she  was  probably  some- 
where in  the  park.  At  the  same  moment  Henry  came 
and  led  the  horse  away.  The  old  man  looked  so  im- 
posing in  his  new  brown  livery  that  Lieschen  did  not 
at  first  recognize  him,  and  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 
The  young  lady  in  the  hammock  noticed  this,  for  a 
somewhat  mocking  smile  appeared  for  a  moment  on  the 
full  little  mouth.  She  swung  somewhat  more  violently, 
but  suddenly  she  stopped. 

"What  do  you  do  here  all  day  long?"  asked  she, 
while  again  a  yawn  was  hidden  behind  the  fan. 

"We  will  go  to  walk  this  afternoon,"  replied  Army, 
quickly.     "  There  are  charming  wood  paths  here. " 

"  Go  to  walk  ? " 

"  We  have,  unfortunately,  no  carriage  to  place  at 
your  disposal,"  remarked  the  young  baroness,  simply. 

The  old  lady  smiled  mockingly.  "  The  remark  was 
very  superfluous,  Cornelia." 

"Do  you  not  like  to  walk.  Cousin  Blanche?"  asked 
Army,  wha  had  seated  himself  in  the  chair  opposite  his 
mother. 

"No,"  declared  she,  without  raising  her  eyes. 

The  young  officer  bit  his  lips. 

"Could  not  we  ask  the  bailiff  for  his  carriage  for  a 


XX4  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


couple  of  hours?"  said  he,  then.  "What  do  you  think, 
grandmamma  ? " 

"  That  it  is  quite  a  strange  idea  of  yours.  Army. 
You  can  scarcely  persuade  any  one  to  get  into  this  an- 
tediluvian vehicle." 

"  Oh,  why  not,  mamma  ? "  said  the  younger  baroness. 
"  I  only  fear  that  the  carriage  will  not  be  available  just 
to-day,  for  the  family  usually  take  a  little  drive  them- 
selves on  Sunday." 

"I  refuse  once  for  all,"  replied  the  old  lady, 
repel  lantly. 

"  May  I  offer  our  carriage  ? "  asked  Lieschen. 
"  Father  would  certainly  take  great  pleasure " 

"There  is  an  outlet,"  cried  Army.  "If  you  like, 
Blanche,  we  will  accept.     Eh,  grandmamma?" 

"No,  thank  you,"  replied  the  latter;  but  Blanche 
answered  neither  yes  nor  no;  she  directed  a  scrutiniz- 
ing, astonished  glance  at  the  girl  in  the  simple  white 
dress  over  there — who  was  she  ? 

"Well,  decide,  cousin,"  begged  Army. 

"Yes,  decide,"  added  the  grandmother,  while  a  hate- 
ful smile  played  about  her  mouth.  "It  is  not  Whit- 
Sunday  every  day;  on  the  work  days  the  proud  horses 
will  have  no  time,  because  they  must  draw  the  rag 
wagon." 

"Father's  carriage  horses  are  no  working  horses," 
said  Lieschen;  her  lips  trembled.  "  They  would  have 
no  time  for  that,  either,  because  father  intended  them 
exclusively  for  mother,  for  whom  walking  is  very  hard." 

"I  will  not  drive  to-day,"  declared  Blanche,  whom 
the  word  "  rag "  had  caused  to  shudder.  "  Is  there 
much  society  about  here  ? "  she  then  asked. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  replied  Army,  pleasantly.      "  However,  we 


r.  "«J W  -^'i  vp.'  Tj-T^r^-'-p^^-:^^'  (-r-™p  ^w;Ti;-^7T»:»:T»nr^7»'^jrv^. .  i  jji  npji  ^i|(i  ^^n^^.^  T1'    ■    '  ■  -  ■•  .  "^ .  «^  ^r  -^sr^-  - 


^  Maiden's  Choice.  115 

associate  with  no  one;  you  know,  without  a 
carriage " 

"And  in  the  near  neighborhood  there  is  not  a  single 
family  with  whom  any  one  could  associate — in  a  proper 
manner,"  completed  the  old  baroness. 

"Ah!  "  said  the  young  lady,  and  leaned  wearily  back 
in  her  hammock,  while  she  pushed  her  long  golden, 
shining  hair  forward,  and  began  to  wind  several  strands 
round  her  fingers. 

Army  had  grown  crimson,  and  glanced  quickly  over 
at  Lieschen,  who  had  suddenly  risen.  Her  lovely  face 
was  deathly  pale,  and  tears  sparkled  in  her  large  eyes. 

"  I  must  say  farewell,  without  having  spoken  to 
Nelly." 

"She  will  be  sorry,  Lieschen,"  said  the  suffering 
woman  near  her,  and  gave  her  her  hand.  "Perhaps 
you  will  meet  her  in  the  park.  Greet  your  parents  and 
Auntie  for  me." 

"Thank  you,  madam,"  replied  the  young  girl,  and 
turned  to  go,  after  a  bow  to  the  others.  The  old  lady's 
dark  eyes  followed  her  slender  form  with  an  indescrib- 
able expression. 

"Thank  heaven!"  cried  she,  drawing  a  deep  breath. 
"  I  do  not  know  what  it  is,  but  the  presence  of  this  girl 
puts  me  out  of  temper  every  time,  and  always  excites 
me  to  little  malicious  acts;  she  has  such  a  horrible  way 
of  knocking  on  her  money  bags.  What  arrogance  to 
offer  her  equipage!  And  you,  Army,  were  within  an 
ace  of  accepting  it!  To  show  yourself  in  the  rag- 
miller's  carriage,  which  every  child  knows — incompre- 
hensible in  you! " 

"I  only  wished  to  fulfil  Blanche's  wish,"  replied  he; 
"however,  you  are  right,  grandmamma,     I  will  seek  to 


ii6  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

make  it  possible   in  another  way."     The  young  lady 
continued  silent,  and  swung  perpetually. 

"I  think  Lieschen  was  visibly  hurt  to-day.  One 
surely  should  refuse  a  politeness  more  pleasantly.  She 
only  wished  to  be  obliging." 

"Cornelia,  I  beg  of  you!"  the  old  lady  interrupted 
her  daughter-in-law  irritably.  "  It  is  always  the  same 
refrain  with  you;  as  if  such  people  were  as  delicately 
sensitive  as  we.  You  naturally  will  continue  to  asso- 
ciate with  them  intimately.  I  do  not  understand  how 
it  is  possible.  I  felt  suffocated  the  first  day  in  this 
plebeian  atmosphere!" 

At  this  moment  Nelly  came  quickly  from  the  alley; 
her  blonde  curls  flew  around  a  heated  face.  The  neat, 
but  more  than  simple,  cotton  dress  left  her  feet  free, 
which  were  in  small,  but  not  too  dainty  leather  boots, 
and  her  black  silk  apron  one  saw  had  been  very  care- 
fully kept ;  but  still  it  was  a  long  time  since  it  was  new. 
"  What  has  happened  to  Liesel  ? "  she  asked,  breath- 
lessly, as  she  came  nearer.     "She  was  crying." 

"Before  everything,  Nelly,  I  should  like  to  ask 
where  you  have  been,  and  tell  you  that  it  is  very  un- 
suitable for  a  young  lady  to  run  so.  Is  that  the  dress 
which  you  intend  to  keep  on  to-day?" 

"Grandmamma!"  cried  she,  and  laughed  gayly. 
"  How  droll  you  are!  As  if  ever  I  possessed  another 
costume  than  this  cotton  gown!  I  cannot  possibly 
wear  my  black  dress  on  this  lovely  day." 

Blanche  turned  her  head,  and  one  of  those  cold 
glances  wandered  over  the  despised  cotton  dress.  Her 
maid  would  not  have  thanked  her  for  this  frock.  But 
Army  suddenly  blushed  deeply;  he  now  remembered  a 
little    note   in   which   a  gold   piece  was  wrapped,   the 


..t'.i  -IW  !liR.v!gi  IIMIJWUHJM  ■  ■   -■•  T T       J'.JBSlKJll.  Ill    ..I. 


A  Maiden' s  Choice.  117 


birthday-gift  of  his  sister.     Where  had  the  note  been 
kept? 

"Why  was  Lieschen  crying?"  repeated  the  young 
girl,  impatiently.     "She  would  not  tell  me." 

No  one  answered  her.  "Army,  please  tell  me!  "  she 
begged,  and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

"The  child  seems  to  be  very  sensitive,"  the  grand- 
mother explained,  in  his  place.  "  I  said  something 
quite  in  general,  and  that  highly  offended  her  sense  of 
rank,  but  it  is  always  so  with  these  people.  They 
place  themselves  on  the  same  step  with  us,  and  cannot 
bear  it  when  one  makes  them  feel  the  wrong  of  such 
undertaking." 

Nelly  was  silent.  She  had  heard  enough  from  the 
tone  in  which  grandmother  had  spoken  the  two  words, 
"these  people,"  to  understand.  But  why  was  the  old 
lady  always  so  excited  when  she  saw  Lieschen  ? 

"It  is  too  warm  for  me  here,"  she  continued;  "and  I 
prefer  to  seek  my  cool  room.  Visits  are  welcome  to 
me  at  any  moment,"  said  she,  rising,  and  smiled  pleas- 
antly at  the  young  lady  in  the  hammock.  The  dark 
eyes  could  shine  so  seductively  and  charmingly. 

"I  will  accompany  you,  mamma,"  said  her  daughter- 
in-law,  rising.     "Nelly,  will  you  stay  here  now?" 

The  young  girl  sat  down  beside  her  cousin.  She  se- 
cretly glanced  at  her  neighbor;  she  had  imagined  her 
so  different,  had  looked  forward  to  girlish  chats,  to  the 
continual  presence  of  a  young  girl  of  her  age ;  and  then, 
yesterday,  an  elegant,  frail,  delicate  lady  had  gotten 
out  of  the  extra  post;  her  dark  eyes  had  wandered 
scrutinizingly  and  coldly  over  her  surroundings  and  the 
people,  and  had  not  once  exclaimed  when  she  entered 
her   room,   whose   furnishings  Army  had   ordered  and 


ii8  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

arranged,  and  which,  in  Nelly's  opinion,  were  so  sur- 
prisingly beautiful,  in  the  abundance  of  pale  green 
silken  stuff  which,  like  waves  of  the  sea,  covered 
furniture  and  windows.  They  had  not  exchanged  a 
hearty  word.  Blanche  spoke  more  with  her  eyes,  and 
these  dark  stars  spoke  a  plain,  very  expressive  lan- 
guage, and  every  glance  seemed  to  say :  "  How  bound- 
lessly tiresome  it  is  here!  " 

At  the  first  moment  Blanche's  looks  had  caused  her 
great  joy.  "Agnes  Mechthilde!"  she  had  cried,  and 
her  grandmother  and  mother  also  had  gazed  in  aston- 
ishment at  the  delicate  form,  with  the  loosened  red 
blonde  hair.  The  former  had  secretly  rejoiced,  for 
that  the  "little  red-haired  Blanche,  the  scrofulous 
child,  would  become  such  a  piquant  beauty,  she  had 
never  believed,"  she  assured  Nelly.  "A  piquant 
beauty!"  Nelly  scarcely  knew  what  the  adjective 
meant ;  but  that  she  was  beautiful — her  cousin — she  felt 
also;  for  example,  now,  when  the  long  lashes  were 
lowered  over  the  cold  eyes,  the  oval,  pale  face  under 
the  high-arched  brows,  whose  blackness  contrasted  so 
strangely  with  the  bright-colored  hair,  surmounted  by 
the  golden  mass  of  this  wonderful  veil,  offered  an  in- 
describably charming  picture.  She  really  was  just  so — 
the  ancestor  upstairs — just  so  was  the  slender  neck,  set 
on  the  delicate  shoulders;  just  the  same  carriage  of 
the  little  head;  a  few  short  curls,  according  to  the 
fashion,  fell  over  the  alabaster,  white  forehead,  and 
about  the  little  mouth  lay  a  thoughtful  smile.  She 
played  with  her  ivory  fan,  and  passed  its  smooth  sur- 
face caressingly  over  her  face. 

Army  stood  there  by  the  trunk  of  the  great  linden, 
and  looked  thoughtfully  down  at  her.     Here  she  was 


!P^S^'?^ST»^''"r'^!nm7w^3!«»»^''W7i«"«^iW"T»T«"»^!^^ 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  ii$ 

in  the  house  of  his  fathers.  With  what  a  happy,  beat- 
ing heart  he  had  awaited  her,  and  now  it  seemed  to  him 
that  she  had  only  come  unwillingly;  as  if,  like  a  cap- 
tive bird,  she  would  fain  fly  again  from  this  solitude 
into  gay,  happy  life.  She  preserved  such  a  cool,  re- 
served bearing  for  all  the  attentions  with  which  she 
was  overwhelmed.  Even  her  charmingly  arranged 
rooms,  which  had  cost  him  so  much  thought  and  pains,^ 
she  had  scarcely  given  a  glance — not  to  mention  the 
other  heavy  sacrifices. 

Heavens!  Still  it  was  incomprehensibly  foolish. 
The  cost  amounted  to  more  than  his  income  for  two 
years.  But,  bah!  If  he  once  held  that  childishly 
small  hand  in  his,  then  this  whole  affair  was  a  mere 
trifle.  Thisi  grandmamma  had  told  his  mother  impress- 
ively, who  had  glanced  apprehensively  at  the  uphol- 
sterer, and  the  new  livery  for  Henry,  and  the  servant 
who  came  with  Blanche's  saddle  horse,  who  now  stood 
at  the  long-deserted  marble  manger.  Had  not  a  regu- 
lar cook  been  engaged  for  this  time,  and  now  flitted 
about  the  large  castle  kitchen — and  all  this  for  the  lit- 
tle fairy  who  sat  there  so  unsympathizingly! 

Army  sighed  and  glanced  over  at  the  imposing  build- 
ing, which  lay  there  in  the  dazzling  noonday  sun;  the 
glowing  light  trembled  on  the  high,  pointed  slate  roof; 
and  there,  in  Blanche's  room,  the  pretty  maid  just  then 
leaned  out  and  closed  the  windows. 

Nelly  remarked  this  to  her  cousin,  who  still  sat 
there,  dreaming,  and  swinging  slightly. 

"How  foolish!"  cried  she,  and  sprang  up.  "She 
knows  that  I  love  warmth ;  and,  besides,  this  horrible, 
damp  air  in  the  old,  lofty  rooms!  Pray,  Nelly,  tell 
her  she  must  leave  the  windows  open." 


i20  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


The  child  fairly  ran  to  the  castle,  she  was  happy  to 
come  away  from  the  oppressive  tediousness  for  the  time. 

"  Which  are  my  rooms,  Army  ?  One  cannot  make 
out  in  this  confusion  of  windows,"  asked  Blanche. 

"There,  cousin,"  he  explained,  and  came  nearer  to 
her;  "there  in  the  second  story — your  dressing-room 
adjoins  the  tower." 

'Ah,  then,  that  is  the  door  which  is  artfully  con- 
cealed by  that  green  stuff.  I  could  not  determine 
whether  behind  the  tightly  nailed  folds  an  old  cupboard 
or  a  door  was  concealed.  Besides,"  she  continued, 
"why  did  they  not  give  me  the  little  tower  room?  It 
must  be  charming,  with  its  round  windows;  and  I  could 
have  had  a  view  out  over  the  country. "  She  had 
spoken  quickly,  and  now  looked  up  at  heiv  cousin  with 
a  lighting  up  of  her  dark  eyes. 

"I  am  truly  sorry,  Blanche, "  he  said.  "I  had  the 
same  idea;  but  grandmamma  seemed  to  have  particular 
reasons " 

"  So  ?  Is  it  perhaps  haunted  ? "  she  interrupted  him, 
animatedly. 

Army  laughed.  "Alas,  not,  cousin;  at  least,  I  know 
nothing  of  it.  It  must  be  the  young  Mr.  Streitwitz 
who  haunts  it,  and  who  once  shot  himself  on  account 
of   your  charming  likeness,  as  the  chronicle  reports." 

She  did  not  hear  the  last  words.  "  Army,  please  get 
me  the  tower  room!  "  Her  voice  had  the  sweet  tone  of 
a  pleading  child. 

"I  will  do  all  that  I  can,  Blanche.  I  will  go  once 
more  to  grandmamma  and  ask  her,  although  she  refused 
me  abruptly." 

"But  soon,  Army — soon!"  she  cried,  and  smiled  at 
him. 


A  Maiden^  Choice. 


121 


He  looked  at  her  wholly  delighted.  "Certainly;  at 
once,"  stammered  he,  for  she  had  never  looked  at  him 
so  radiantly  since  she  had  been  here.  "Blanche,"  he 
added,  "I  am  afraid  you  will  be  wholly  bored  here." 
The  smile  disappeared  from  her  face. 

"Oh,  please  do  not  finish,"  cried  she;  "rather  tell 


me  a  story,  cousin,  until  I  must  go  upstairs  and  dress. 
For  whom  does  one  dress  here?"  she  added,  and 
shrugged  her  delicate  shoulders.     "Tell  me,"  she  said 


122  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


again,  and  went  on  swinging,  "  who  is  the  young  girl  to 
whom  your  grandmother  was — do  not  be  vexed  with 
me — boundlessly  impolite?" 

"  Miss  Lieschen  Erving." 

"  I  know  that ;  but  who  is  her  father  ?  She  spoke  of 
her  carriage " 

"  Her  father  is  the  wealthiest  man  in  the  region, 
Blanche;  owner  of  a  paper  factory—^ from  that  comes 
the  'rag'  malice  of  grandmamma — owner  of  extensive 
forests,  in  which  we  will  have  opportunity  to  walk,  as 
they  border  on  our  park." 

"And  why  does  not  grand-aunt  like  the  girl?" 

"  Yes,  Blanche.  What  does  grandmamma  care  about 
a  whyl  She  has  always  cherished  an  inexplicable  aver- 
sion for  the  young  girl.  Besides,  it  vexes  her  that 
Nelly  associates  so  intimately  with  her.  She  holds 
strictly  to  rank  prejudices  now,  and  is  not  wrong  in 
that." 

Blanche  shook  her  head.  "  Do  you  know,  cousin, 
the  old  air  seems  to  blow  here  which  is  more  and  more 
disappearing  in  the  outer  world.  A — a  letter!"  she 
interrupted  herself,  and  hastily  took  the  dainty  square 
envelope  from  the  salver  which  old  Henry  held  out  to 
her,  and  then  he  disappeared  with  as  light  steps  as  he 
had  come.  "  From  Leonie,"  said  she,  half  aloud,  while 
she  tore  open  the  letter.  A  deep  blush  for  a  moment 
rose  to  her  face,  which  instantly  became  pale  again — 
as  pale  as  the  gown  she  wore;  the  paper  shook  in  the 
little  trembling  hands;  then  she  laughed  aloud,  pierc- 
ingly, peculiarly,  so  that  the  young  officer  was  star- 
tled. "That  is  laughable,"  said  she,  and  crumpled  the 
letter  together.  "  Here  is  a  proof  of  what  I  just  told  you, 
Army:  the  world  no  longer  has  such  exclusive  views  af 


A  Maiden* s  Choice.  123 

your  lady  grandmother.  Leonie  von  Hammerstein  just 
writes  me  that  Count  Seebach  is  engaged  to  a  Miss  So- 
and-so,  the  daughter  of  a  head  forester,  and  this  from 
violent  passion — from  love,  as  Leonie  expresses  it. 
Do  you  hear,  Army? — from  love!"  She  laughed,  and 
with  that  a  wild  fire  shone  in  the  dark  eyes,  and  the 
little  hands  tore  the  paper  into  a  thousand  pieces. 

"  What  ?  Count  Seebach,  with  whom  you  danced  so 
often  last  winter?"  asked  Army;  "the  one  who  fairly 
overwhelmed  you  with  flowers?"  He  spoke  quickly, 
and  rested  his  eyes  penetratingly  on  the  excited  fea- 
tures of  his  cousin. 

"Did  he  dance  with  me?  I  scarcely  remember," 
replied  she  flippantly,  and  looked  at  the  luxuriant 
green  leafy  sea  of  flowers  and  foliage;  but  in  her  voice 
was  a  forced,  deeply  excited  sound,  and  her  delicate 
nostrils  twitched  nervously.  "Yes,  the  world  pro- 
gresses. That  such  a  proud  man  as  Seebach,  a  man 
who  a  short  time  ago  spoke  of  his  spotlessly  preserved 
family  tree — that  this  one  from  love — ha,  ha.  Army,  it 
is  laughable,  is  it  not  ? — from  love  should  make  a  com- 
mon girl  his  wife!  "  She  shook  her  head  violently,  and 
again  the  unnatural,  forced  laugh  came  from  her  lips. 
Then  she  suddenly  rose;  her  dainty  ivory  fan,  on  its 
silver  chain,  struck  against  the  massive  table,  she 
turned  round  so  quickly.  "I  am  fearfully  tired,"  she 
added,  and  laid  her  small  hand  over  her  eyes,  as  if  the 
bright  sunlight  blinded  her.  "  I  am  not  accustomed  to 
remain  so  long  in  the  open  air,  and  must  rest  a  little, 
so  that  I  shall  be  fresh  again  for  dinner.  Addic^ 
cousin! " 

0 

She  nodded  to  him,  while  she  refused  his  company 
by  a  gesture,  and  walked  across  the  open  place.     It 


124  -^  Maiden's  Choice. 


seemed  as  if  the  slight  form  was  borne  along  by  hidden 
wings,  as  if  at  any  moment  the  golden  veil  which 
floated  out  from  the  little  head  would  spread  itself  out 
and  carry  her  upwards,  so  light,  so  charming,  was  the 
whole  picture.  At  the  door  of  the  tower  she  turned 
round  again,  and  Army  heard  a  clear  silvery  laugh. 
How  differently  that  sounded  from  the  excited,  forced 
laugh  which  he  had  just  heard!  She  was  a  riddle,  this 
girl.  When  would  he  have  the  right  to  solve  this 
riddle? 

At  dinner  the  young  lady  appeared  in  a  dazzling 
toilet.  The  pale-green  silken  stuff  shone  delicately 
through  the  white  mull  of  the  overdress;  the  wonderful 
hair  was  fastened  at  the  back  of  her  head  with  an  ivory 
comb,  and  a  broad  dull  gold  bracelet,  in  which  sparkled 
a  magnificent  emerald,  encircled  one  slender  wrist. 
Her  face  showed  no  trace  of  that  apathetic  quietness 
which  had  made  it  seem  so  cold  and  bored  this  morn- 
ing. Blanche  had  a  charming  smile  for  every  one,  and 
the  old  baroness  glanced  tenderly  from  one  to  the  other 
of  the  young  pair  who  sat  opposite  her.  The  cool 
dining-room  had  not  for  a  long  time  heard  such  a  happy 
clicking  of  glasses,  and  Henry  for  an  equally  long  time 
had  not  opened  any  of  those  carefully  guarded  silver- 
necked  bottles  whose  contents  the  old  baroness  was  so 
proud  of. 

To-day  he  poured  out  again  the  sparkling  wine  in 
the  pointed  glasses,  and  carried  out  with  suitable 
dignity  the  different  courses,  and  let  his  clever  eyes 
wander  over  the  little  table  company,  and  over  the  beau- 
tiful girl  at  his  young  master's  side,  of  whom  the 
strange  maid  had  told  him  that  she  really  and  truly 
would  be  immensely  rich  some  day,  and  that  she  had 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  1*5 

as  many  lovers  as  fingers  on  her  hands.  But  old  Sanna 
beamed  with  joy,  for  her  mistress  had  repeatedly  given 
her  to  understand  what  it  all  meant;  and  she  now  saw 
brilliant  days  in  store  for  her  baroness  again.  The 
young  lady  with  the  golden,  shining  head  was  to  be  the 
fairy  who  was  to  rescue  the  old  castle  from  its  solitude 
and  awaken  it  to  that  luxurious,  delightful  life  which 
had  once  ruled  within  its  walls.  Her  silvery  laughter 
sounded  so  promising  for  happiness  in  the  lofty  rooms, 
and  she  talked  so  childishly  with  the  old  baroness,  and 
begged  to  be  allowed  to  call  her  grandmamma.  She 
could  charm  a  smile  to  the  lips  of  the  pale,  quiet 
woman,  and  the  heart  of  the  young  officer  at  her  side 
beat  violently  when  she  looked  at  him  so  radiantly,  or 
her  sweet  breath  touched  him.  , 

But  Nelly — little  Nelly — what  was  the  matter  with 
her?  She,  who  formerly  so  willingly  obeyed  her 
brother,  thought  he  was  right  in  everything  that  he  said 
and  did,  was  ready  to  read  the  slightest  wish  in  his  eyes, 
to-day  was  so  indifferent  to  her  cousin,  seemed  to  have 
so  little  sympathy  for  all  that  took  place  around  her, 
that  it  almost  amounted  to  rudeness.  Her  red  mouth, 
which  so  willingly  opened  for  a  hearty  laugh,  to-day 
remained  severely  closed,  and  her  eyes  only  at  times 
shyly  glanced  at  the  happy  face  of  her  brother,  who 
was  so  unwearied  in  his  attentions  to  his  neighbor. 
Before  her  eyes  appeared,  again  and  again,  a  pale  face, 
with  a  couple  of  great  tears  in  her  blue  eyes.  What 
had  they  done  to  Lieschen — her  Lieschen?  No;  she 
must  just  go  to  her,  and  she  should  tell  her  who  had 
insulted  her. 

It  had  become  perfectly  dark,  when  Nelly,  several 
hours  after,  came  out  of  Lieschen's  room,  where  she 


126  A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


had  talked  in  the  twilight  to  her  friend,  and  had  in 
vain  tried  to  learn  why  she  had  cried. 

"It  is  nothing,  Nelly,"  Lieschen  assured  her  again 
and  again,  with  her  soft  voice.  "  It  svas  very  childish 
in  me  to  be  vexed  at  something  which  is  really  not 
worth  speaking  about.  And  now,  come;  I  will  accom- 
pany you. " 

And  so  they  crossed  the  mill  bridge  and  walked 
along  the  old  well-known  path,  in  the  shadow  of  the 
old  trees.  It  was  a  warm  evening;  not  a  breath  of  air 
was  stirring,  and  along  the  distant  horizon  lay  a  dark 
mass  of  clouds;  a  pale  lightning  flashed  from  time  to 
time,  and  threw  a  dull  light  on  the  surroundings.  The 
nightingale  sang  loudly  in  all  the  bushes,  and  in  the 
distance  was  heard  the  song  of  the  young  peasants, 
who  were  rejoicing  with  all  their  heart  in  their  festive 
mood. 

"  I  do  not  know  what  is  the  matter  with  me,"  began 
Lieschen,  and  drew  a  deep  breath.  "  I  feel  as  if  I  were 
suffocating!  How  heavy  and  close  the  air  is!  I  think 
Auntie  is  right — we  will  have  a  thunder-storm." 

Nelly  nodded. 

"  My  mother  also  complains  that  she  can  scarcely 
breathe,"  continued  Lieschen.  "  Do  you  know,  Nelly, 
Whitsunday  has  never  before  been  so  sad  for  me  as  this 
time,  and  yet  all  was  as  formerly.  If  only  something 
serious  does  not  happen  in  case  the  storm  comes!  " 

So  they  had  come  as  far  as  the  park  gate.  Mechanic- 
ally they  turned  into  the  linden  alley;  the  perfume  of 
the  elders  was  almost  overpowering,  and  Lieschen 
clutched  her  aching  temples  with  her  little  hands.  AU 
at  once  she  felt  a  slight  pressure  on  her  arm,  and  Nelly 
stood  still. 


A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


127 


"Lieschen,"    said    she,    "was    not    that   Blanche's 
voice?" 

For  a  while  all  was  quiet  and  peaceful ;    then  light 


steps  came  toward  them.  The  rustle  of  a  dress  accom- 
panied them;  and  now  through  the  stillness  rang  out  a 
sweet,  clear  voice: 


128  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


*'  Army — my  dear,  dear  Army !  " 

How  enchanting  that  sounded!  The  yoiing  girl 
there  felt  as  if  a  sharp  knife  were  plunged  in  her  breast; 
involuntarily  she  pressed  her  hand  to  her  heart.  And  now 
a  whisper — that  was  his  voice;  how  good  that  she  could 
not  hear  what  he  said!     Ah,  if  she  only  had  not  come! 

And  the  rustle  of  the  dress  and  the  slow  steps  came 
nearer.  She  dropped  her  friend's  hand  and  fled  behind 
the  th'ck  trunk  of  a  linden,  and  yet  she  bent  forward 
in  breathless  interest  to  listen;  and  then- — then  a  bright 
flash  of  lightning  illuminated  the  heavens,  and  showed 
her  a  slender  girlish  form,  and  in  his  arms;  there  she 
hung,  as  daintily  and  lightly  as  a  fairy,  the  beautiful 
cousin  with  the  red-gold  hair.  She  had  bent  her  head 
back,  and  he  stooped  down  to  her  and  kissed  her.  It 
was  only  a  moment,  but  it  sufficed  to  betray  it  all  to 
the  two  startled  blue  eyes.  She  laid  her  head  against 
the  trunk  of  the  old  tree  and  closed  her  eyes  in  fierce, 
never  before  known  pain.  But  Nelly  cried  out  shrilly: 
"  Army !  Army !  "  How  pitiful,  how  warning,  it  sounded. 
And  then  he  answered.  His  voice  sounded  so  joyful. 
"Little  sister,  where  are  you?  Come;  see  what  I  have 
found!  Come  here — you  shall  run  ahead  and  tell 
grandmamma  that  fortune  has  now  really  returned — 
that  Blanche  is  mine!"  And  then  there  was  another 
vivid  flash  through  the  trees,  and  it  shone  on  a  girl's 
form  fleeing  homeward  through  the  alley. 

Before  the  betrothed  couple  stood  little  Nelly,  and 
looked  up  at  her  brother  with  great  shy  eyes;  and  when 
the  flash  faded  a  hot  sob  came  from  her  breast,  and  with 
bowed  head  she  walked  to  the  castle  to  tell  her  mother 
that  Blanche  and  Army — her  dear,  good  Army — were 
betrothed. 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


129 


But  Auntie  sat  on  the  sandstone  bench  before  the 
door  and  waited  for  her  darling.  The  master  and  his 
wife  were  walking  up  and  down  in  the  garden,  and  Mr. 


Selldorf  accompanied  them,  and  told  them  of  his  home 
and  his  brothers  and  sisters. 

The  old  woman  was  absorbed  in  her  thoughts,  and 
each  time  that  the  lightning  flashed  through  the  sultry 
air  she  thought — if  only  Liesel  were  home!  "Oh,  alas! 
it  will  rain  to-morrow,"  she  whispered  to  herself,  "  then 
the  pastor's  picnic  will  come  to  nothing.  Well,  they 
must  stop  and  amuse  themselves  here.  There  will  be  a 
kribbel-krabbel  in  the  old  mill,  to  be  sure.  How  many 
will  I  have  at  table?  There  are  eight  from  the  parson- 
age alone,  and  then  the  two  head  foresters,  and — merci- 
9 


130  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


ful  Heaven !  "  she  screamed  out.  "  Liesel,  how  you 
frightened  me!  "  and  she  bent  down  to  the  young  girl, 
who  had  sunk  down  at  her  feet  as  if  lifeless  and  buried 
her  head  in  her  apron. 

"What  is  the  matter,  my  child?  Liesel,  pray  speak! 
What  is  the  matter?"  she  asked,  and  stroked  her  little 
head.  "My  God!"  she  continued,  "are  you  ill,  then, 
my  heart's  blossom?"  But  she  received  no  answer. 
Only  the  girl  raised  her  head,  two  arms  were  thrown 
round  her  neck,  and  hot,  trembling  lips  were  pressed 
tenderly  to  hers;  then  she  disappeared,  and  the  old 
woman  heard  the  light  steps  on  the  stairs,  and  soon 
after,  how  the  room  door  was  locked. 

"  Strange  child!  "  murmured  she,  and  shook  her  head. 
She  could  not  see  how  her  darling  walked  restlessly  up 
and  down,  and  how  at  last  the  weary  head  lay  on  a 
tear-drenched  pillow,  and  the  little  hands  were  clasped 
so  tightly  10  say  a  prayer  for  Army,  with  whom  she  had 
once  played  as  a  little  girl,  and  with  whom  she  had  now 
nothing  to  do  in  the  world — ah,  nothing,  nothing  more! 


» 


IX. 


Up  in  the  castle,  quietness  did  not  return  for  a  long 
time.  The  young  betrothed,  to  be  sure,  soon  retired 
to  her  room.  She  was  still  so  confused,  as  she  said;  it 
had  all  come  about  so  suddenly,  so  surprisingly.  She, 
to  be  sure,  tolerated  the  flatteries  which  the  old  bar- 
oness said  to  her  with  radiant,  joyful,  surprised  face, 
and  listened  to  the  moving  words  which  Army's  mother 
whispered  to  her.  But  then  she  was  weary,  and  the 
lofty  door  of  her  room  was  hastily  locked  behind  her; 
the  sweet,  childish  smile  disappeared  from  the  beauti- 
ful face,  and  Sophie,  the  maid,  had  a  very  ungracious 
mistress.  At  length  she  sat  in  her  night-dress  at  her 
writing-table,  and  the  pen  flew  over  the  paper  as  if 
chased,  and  her  mouth  twitched  as  if  in  deepest 
vexation. 

But  down  in  the  sitting-room  his  mother's  arms  were 
clasped  around  Army,  and  her  eyes  rested  on  his, 
which  shone  so  happily.  "My  dear,  good  fellow,"  she 
whispered,  "may  you  be  happy!  It  has  come  so 
quickly.  Army,  and  you  are  still  so  young.  May  God 
give  you  his  blessing!"  The  old  baroness,  who 
walked  briskly  here  and  there  in  the  room,  now  re- 
mained standing  before  the  group,  just  as  the  young 
man  pressed  his  lips  to  his  mother's.  "Army,"  she 
began,  apparently  vexed  at  the  sentimental  scene, 
"  you  know  what  you  have  to  do  next.     You  must  go 


134 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


to  your  aunt  and  formally  ask  for  Blanche's  hand,  and 
then  I  hope  that  everything  else  will  soon  be  arranged. 
You  need  only  write  to  Blanche's  father.  I  think  we 
need  come  in  no  further  contact  with  the  man ;  in  any 

case " 

"Certainly,  grandmamma,  I  will  go,"  he  interrupted 


her,  gently.    He  had  gone  up  to  Nelly,  who,  crouching 
in  a  large  arm-chair,  had  hidden  her  face  in  both  hands. 
"Little  one,"  said  he,  softly,  "have  you  no  pleasant 
word  for  me  ? " 


A  Maiden^ s  Choice.  I3S 

"Ah,  Army,"  sobbed  she,  "I — I — was  so  frightened 
when  I  saw  you  there  with  cousin;  and  I  am  so  sad 
that " 

"Why,  Nelly!  It  is  a  great  happiness  for  us  all  that 
it  has  come  about  so;  and  I  love  her  so,  my  Blanche! " 

"Does  she  love  you  also?"  asked  the  young  girl 
earnestly,  and  seized  his  hands.  "  Do  you  know  that 
surely?" 

"But,  my  heart,"  said  he,  laughing,  "do  you  think 
she  would  otherwise  marry  me  ?  She  who  is  so  beauti- 
ful and  so  courted  ? " 

Nelly  shook  her  head  and  looked  past  her  brother 
with  her  tearful  eyes.  "  But  I  imagined  it  so  wholly 
different,"  she  whispered. 

"  Foolish  little  thing!  "  said  he,  and  tenderly  stroked 
her  curls. 

"Pray,  Army,"  the  grandmother  interrupted  him, 
"do  not  waste  so  many  words  on  the  obstinate  little 
thing.  I  hope  that  she  will  at  least  be  more  agreeable 
to  her  future  sister-in-law.  You  were  unbearably  rude 
to-day,  Nelly." 

"I  am  not  rude,  only  sad,"  the  young  girl  defended 
herself. 

"But  that  is  ridiculous,"  continued  the  old  lady. 
"  You  have  no  suspicion  of  what  great  good  fortune  has 
come  to  us  to-day,  or  else  you  would  wear  a  different 
expression.     I  really  believe  you  are  envious,  Nelly." 

"Oh,  far  from  it,"  said  the  mother,  kindly,  in  her 
gentle  voice.  "  Every  sister  feels  thus  when  her  brother 
is  betrothed.  His  whole  love  now  belongs  to  his 
bride,  but  it  is  nevertheless  very  lovely  when  one  knows 
him  so  truly  happy,  is  it  not,  Nelly?" 

She  nodded  amid  her  tears,  and  then  quickly  left  the 


136  A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


room.  Without,  the  first  thunder  of  the  advancing 
storm  rolled  through  the  sultry  night. 

"I  think  Nelly  is  ill,"  said  the  mother,  anxiously; 
"her  hands  are  so  burning  hot." 

"  Oh,  nonsense ;  she  is  naughty.  She  pouts  because, 
in  her  opinion,  too  much  happened  to  her  Lieschen 
to-day,"  declared  the  old  lady,  angrily.  "I  wager  she 
has  already  been  down  there  in  the  mill,  and  has 
begged  the  simple  thing's  pardon.  It  is  unheard  of, 
really!" 

"Certainly  she  was  down  there;  she  seemed  to  have 
just  come  from  there  when  she  met  us  so  unexpectedly 
in  the  linden  alley;  besides,  grandmamma,  I  must  con- 
fess, and  Blanche  thinks  so,  too,  you  were  too  rough  to 
the  child." 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  blinding  flash,  which 
was  followed  by  a  fearful  thunder-clap. 

"  Misericordia,  what  a  storm!  "  cried  the  old  baron- 
ess, trembling,  and  for  a  moment  forgot  her  sharp  answer 
in  the  fear,  "Is  Blanche  frightened?"  Then  the  door 
flew  open,  and  the  young  lady,  in  a  white  cashmere 
robe,  suddenly  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  room;  she 
held  her  little  hands  over  her  ears,  and  looked  around 
with  terrified  gaze.  "  I  am  afraid, "  said  she,  trembling, 
and  fled  to  the  large  arm-chair  which  Nelly  had  just  left. 

Army  hurried  to  her;  he  looked  in  her  pale  face,  and 
seized  her  cold  little  hand. 

"I  would  not  like  to  live  here  always — not  for  the 
world!  "  she  continued,  and  defiantly  planted  her  dainty 
foot  on  the  floor. 

"Where  will  you  live,  then,  my  child?"  asked  the 
old  baroness,  listening  in  astonishment. 

*'  Live,  then  ? "  repeated  the  young  girl,  in  astonish- 


A  MaiderCs  Choice.  137 

ment,  and  her  fear  seemed  momentarily  to  be  wholly 
forgotten.  "Yes,  dear  grandmamma,  do  you  perchance 
imagine  that  Army  and  I  would  bury  ourselves  here  ? 
No;  Heaven  forbid!  Eh,  Army?  We  will  travel,  first, 
and  see  the  world.  I  know  none  of  the  great  watering- 
places  yet — Ems,  Baden-Baden,  then  Switzerland,  Italy 
— only  think !  Italy,  of  which  you  told  me  so  much 
yesterday.  And  then  when  we  have  seen  all  this,  then 
we  will  seek  a  place  that  pleases  us."  She  was  sud- 
denly silent,  for  again  thunder  had  followed  the  light- 
ning, and  seemed  to  shake  the  old  castle  to  its  founda- 
tions. Army  held  his  betrothed's  hand;  he  stood  near 
her,  drawn  up  to  his  full  height,  and  listened  to  the 
reverberating  thunder;  but  the  old  lady,  with  an 
expression  of  the  highest  astonishment,  stepped  up  to 
the  pair,  while  the  daughter-in-law  sat  up  in  her  arm- 
chair and  anxiously  listened  to  what  the  little  red 
mouth  uttered  so  self-confidently. 

"We  must  live  where  Aunt  Stontheim  decides, 
Blanche,"  said  the  young  man  now,  calmly. 

"No,  never!"  replied  she,  animatedly.  "I  will  not 
be  buried  here  in  this  old  castle.  I  am  still  young;  I 
will  not  be  fettered,  and  will  enjoy  life.  Army,  you 
will  grant  that  I  am  right.  Live  here!  Once  for  all, 
never!  Aunt  is  too  sensible;  she  will  not  desire  it, 
either — no,  surely  not,"  she  added,  with  conviction. 

"Certainly,  Blanche,  we  will  travel,"  he  assured  her. 
"But  aunt  has  to  choose  our  settled  dwelling-place." 

"  And  if  she  chooses  Derenberg,  then — I  will  not 
come  with  you.  No,  certainly  I  will  not  come  with 
you.     It  is  too  sad  here;  I  would  die  in  this  solitude." 

"And  would  you,  then,  leave  me  here  alone?"  asked 
Army  softly,  and  bent  down  to  her  to  look  in  her  eyes 


13S  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

He  said  it  jestingly,  but  something  like  fear  sounded 
in  his  voice.  "  And  yet  you  just  told  me,  out  under 
the  trees,  that  you  would  only  be  happy  where " 

His  voice  sank  to  a  whisper. 

A  violent  shake  of  the  glistening,  golden  head  was 
the  answer.  "  No,  no,"  cried  she,  "  it  was  not  meant  so, 
Army,  I  will  not  have  my  little  bit  of  liberty  taken 
from  me;  it  would  be  my  death  if  I  must  daily  walk 
through  these  lofty  corridors  and  look  out  into  the 
gloomy  park." 

"  But  if  your  future  husband  wished  you  to  remain 
here?"  asked  the  old  lady,  quite  breathlessly;  her  deli- 
cate hands  clutched  convulsively  the  folds  of  her  gown. 

**  He  will  not  wish  it,"  cried  Blanche  passionately, 
and  sprang  up.  Her  lovely  little  face  had  taken  on  an 
almost  threatening  expression,  and  her  little  feet  trod 
the  old  parquet  energetically:  there  was  no  longer  a 
trace  of  that  sweet  yielding  in  her  manner  with  which 
to-day,  under  the  dark  trees,  she  had  clung  to  his  arm. 
Obstinacy  in  its  most  hateful  form  was  suddenly  dis» 
played,  and  her  voice  sounded  sharp  and  rough.  "  It 
is  laughable,  fairly  laughable,"  she  continued,  "to 
represent  the  wife  as  a  slave,  and  say  to  her:  'Here 
where  your  husband  is  happy,  you  necessarily  must  be 
also;  and  if  you  are  not,  it  is  your  affair — see  how  you 
can  arrange  it.*  Army  can  and  will  not  put  it  thus  to 
me.  I  gave  him  my  promise  to  belong  to  him,  but 
now  it  lies  in  his  hand  to  make  me  happy  with  him, 
and  here  I  can  and  will  not  be." 

"Blanche!  "  cried  he,  and  his  large  eyes  rested  quite 
frightened  on  the  young  creature  who  had  just,  with  a 
thousand  sweet  words  of  love,  become  his  betrothed. 
"  Blanche,  I  beg  you,  cease !     You  are  excited  to-day. 


A  Maiden's  Choice,  139 


4 


You  are  frightened."  He  rang  the  bell,  and  led  her 
back  to  the  arm-chair.  "A  glass  of  water,"  he  said  to 
Henry,  who  just  then  entered. 

But  the  grandmother,  as  if  petrified,  gazed  at  her 
grandson's  betrothed.  What!  This  childish  brain 
with  one  breath  overthrow  all  her  precious  plans?  She 
should  live  here  as  before  in  this  solitude?  The  brill- 
iant wealth  should  not  be  for  her  good?  She  should 
not  be  permitted  to  sun  herself  in  the  rays  which  a 
fresh,  happy  life  spread  here?  Almost  uncomprehend- 
ing, she  sank  into  a  chair  and  gloomily  watched  the 
tall  form  of  the  young  officer,  who  just  then  took  the 
glass  of  water  from  the  hands  of  the  servant  to  hand  it 
to  his  betrothed.  Without,  the  rain  now  fell  in  tor- 
rents, and  there  was  still  a  pale  flash  of  lightning  now 
and  then,  but  the  rumble  of  the  thunder  already  echoed 
from  a  distance. 

Suddenly  a  faint  cry  was  heard  from  the  adjoining 
room.  "Nelly!"  cried  the  younger  baroness,  startled, 
and  hurried  out.  She  went  up  to  the  sofa,  on  which 
lay  a  light  form.  A  soft  groan  met  her  ear.  *'  Child, 
are  you  ill?"  cried  she,  filled  with  anxiety,  and  bent 
down  to  her  and  laid  her  hand  on  her  hot  forehead. 

"Oh,  she  is  terrible,  mamma  —  she  is  terrible!" 
sobbed  the  girl.  "My  Army;  my  dear,  good  Army! 
She   does   not    love   him,    mamma,    you    may   believe 


me. 


"  Do  not  worry  yourself,  dear  heart,"  her  mother  con- 
soled her  gently;  "she  is  only  a  little  capricious.  All 
will  be  right  yet." 

"No,  no,  mamma!  Ah,  as  I  saw  her,  I  thought  of 
the  old  chronicle,  and  the  verse  about  the  red  hair:  it 
will  not  go  out  of  my  mind;  and  she  is  full  of  malice, 


14©  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


too.     Ah,  if  she  would  only  go  away  this  evening,  and 
never  come  again !  " 

With  a  thousand  caressing  words,  to  soothe  the 
excited  girl,  her  own  heart  was  so  disquieted.  Could 
the  young  girl,  then,  really  love  the  man  to  whom  she 
had  just  engaged  herself.  The  maidenly,  sweet  shy- 
ness with  which  she  had  come  in  with  him  before  had 
so  wholly  disappeared,  the  charm  of  that  hour  must  be 
obliterated  from  her  mind — of  that  hour  which  is  the 
loveliest  in  the  life  of  a  girl,  and  whose  recollection, 
even  in  later  years,  brings  a  gentle  smile  to  the  lips  of 
an  old  woman  when  she  thinks  of  the  time  that  she  laid 
her  hand  in  that  of  the  beloved  man  for  the  first  time. 
Could  she,  then,  love  him  ?  The  pale  woman  lowered 
her  head,  and  great  tears  came  to  her  eyes.  She  had 
been  so  unhappy  in  life,  might  her  children  fare  better! 

And  at  length  Nelly  fell  asleep  under  her  mother's 
caresses.  It  was  an  uneasy,  feverish  sleep,  but  the 
anxious  mother  left  her  little  daughter  alone;  she  had 
another  child,  her  Army.  She  peeped  cautiously  in  at 
the  door.  The  old  lady  and  the  beautiful  betrothed  had 
disappeared;  but  there,  in  the  deep  window  niche,  he 
still  stood — her  darling — and  gazed  out  into  the  dark 
night.  She  went  up  to  him  and  laid  her  hand  on  his 
shoulder.  "Army,"  said  she,  softly.  He  turned  and 
looked  at  her  questioningly.  She  did  not  say  another 
word,  but  her  eyes  rested  anxiously  on  the  proud, 
handsome  face  as  he  drew  her  hand  to  his  mouth. 

"Do  not  worry  yourself,  mamma,"  said  he  hastily, 
and  his  voice  did  not  sound  as  steady  as  usual ;  "  she  is 
a  spoiled  child,  a  very  spoiled  child,  but  she  loves 
me — certainly  I  know  it — and  she  will  change.  See, 
she  was  already  sorry  that  she  was  so  violent." 


B?pwjp«»iiiw^»»f»w»im^ii«,«i«./ 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  141 


The  mother  suppressed  her  rising  tears,  and  stroked 
his  forehead  lightly.  She  saw  that  the  young  man  was 
wounded  to  the  inmost  heart,  and  that  pained  her  so 
indescribably.  The  short  time  of  her  unhappy  mar 
riage  came  back  to  her  memory  with  full  force.  "  Good 
night.  Army,"  she  whispered,  and  turned  quickly  away. 

"Good  night,  mamma,"  said  he,  and  kissed  her 
caressingly.     "Do  not  worry  about  me." 

Full  two  weeks  had  elapsed  since  that  Whitsun  night. 
Storm  and  rain  at  that  time  had  stripped  all  the  abun- 
dant blossoms  from  trees  and  bushes,  and  strewed  them 
like  fresh  snow  on  the  ground;  but  now  the  roses  in 
the  miller's  garden  burst  into  full  splendor,  and  the 
lindens  of  the  old  alley  in  the  castle  park  were  in  full- 
est bloom.  Very  often  in  these  last  days  had  Lieschen 
walked  along  this  path  which  she  had  not  thought  to 
tread  so  soon  again.  Nelly  had  been  very  ill,  and  old 
Henry,  at  her  desire,  must  bring  her  friend  to  the  sick- 
ed. She  had  willingly  come,  and  had  sat  with  her  for 
nours  in  the  dim,  lofty  room  and  held  the  little  fever- 
ish hand  in  hers. 

Meanwhile  Army  had  been  with  Aunt  Stontheim,  and 
/lad  asked  her  consent,  and  a  very  affectionate  letter 
had  come  from  Blanche's  father,  who  gave  his  blessing 
to  the  betrothed.  Army  had  given  her  a  charming  lit- 
tle carriage;  his  saddle-horse  drew  it  very  well — to  be 
sure,  he  was  a  little  gay,  but  she  was  a  soldier's  child, 
and  was  not  afraid.  She  was  so  loving  now,  the  little 
betrothed — so  very  submissive  and  girlish;  she  had 
herself  declared  that  she  was  sorry  to  have  been  so 
violent  on  the  evening  of  her  betrothal,  but  a  storm 
excited  her  nerves  so.     And  Army — well,  he  was  the 


7^3«>*;iT_V!ff-»l.'*Ef^ 


142  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

happiest  man  one  could  find;  at  least,  so  thought 
Lieschen.  He  sometimes  entered  the  dark  sick-room 
to  greet  his  sister,  and  then  his  face  always  shone  so 
with  happiness  and  pride  when  he  stooped  down  to  her 
and  brought  her  a  greeting  from  his  betrothed. 

The  latter  had  only  once  appeared  at  her  cousin's 
sick-bed,  but  the  dainty  figure  with  the  long,  rustling 
train  and  the  shining  golden  hair  had  violently  ex- 
cited the  patient  when  she  hastily  asked  how  she 
was,  and  whether  she  could  soon  get  up,  so  that  the 
young  girl  burst  into  tears  when  she  had  gone  again. 
"If  she  only  will  not  come  back  soon,"  she  had  said. 
"  I  feel  so  oppressed  near  her,  and  the  perfume  that 
she  always  uses  makes  my  head  ache."  But  Lies- 
chen was  not  noticed  at  all,  although  Blanche  saw 
the  tall,  slender  figure  standing  beside  the  bed;  the 
grandmother  also  never  came  in  the  sick-room  as  long 
as  she  knew  Lieschen  was  there,  and  Sanna  murmured 
something  about  obstinacy,  and  that  she  could  take  as 
good  care  of  her  as  the  simple  thing  from  the  mill, 
"that  was  something  of  the  young  baroness." 

The  message  which  called  Lieschen  to  the  castle 
came  just  when  the  "  kribbel-krabbel  "  of  which  Auntie 
had  spoken  the  evening  before  was  in  full  swing.  The 
young  girl  was  standing  among  the  troop  of  the  pas- 
tor's children,  and  giving  them  the  customary  choco- 
late; and  in  the  sitting-room  the  news  which  had 
already  gone  through  the  whole  village  was  being  dis- 
cussed— that  the  young  baron  was  engaged  to  his  beau- 
tiful, wealthy  cousin. 

"I  am  heartily  glad,"  her  father's  deep  voice  had 
said.  "They  need  such  a  little  bit  of  sunshine  up 
there. "  And  the  pastor  had  expressed  the  wish  that  Army 


■i^^SWJipwii  *r*'^*'(^'' *■  's^'sr'?^-^^^^.  j'T^iT''*:'^.^"  -v ^* •^.'.  "SJ"' '  ';^T.-^'-^!J!^^f9Kf9i9wmm,..'^nmm^''^^~'r^^^.' tt^pp^^^jpptpt.mi."'  w^'- *^'W 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  143 

had  made  a  happy  choice,  while  the  women  surmised, 
how  it  would  be  now  up  at  the  castle.  But  Lieschen 
had  suddenly  set  down  again  the  plate  of  cake  which 
she  wished  to  divide,  her  face  had  grown  pale,  and  she 
scarcely  heard  the  rejoicing  of  the  children.  All  her 
thoughts  had  gone  back  again  to  the  picture  which  had 
appeared  before  her  yesterday  evening  amid  the  flash- 
ing lightning;  yes,  she  must  control  herself,  in  order 
not  to  weep,  and  then  she  went  into  the  kitchen  to 
Auntie,  and  silently  sat  down  near  her. 

The  old  woman  now  knew  why  her  darling  was  so 
pale;  she  was  inwardly  happy  that  it  had  come  about 
so,  for  now  her  heart's  darling  could  overcome  it,  even 
from  pride — for  "  Love  is  badly  placed  which  wins  no 
love  in  return,  and  must  die,"  she  calculated,  and 
"  Love  without  love  in  return  is  a  question  without  an 
answer,  and  has  no  continuance."  She  saw,  indeed, 
that  the  little  mouth  no  longer  smiled,  and  that  the 
eyes  looked  so  serious;  but  time  would  heal  that. 
With  the  betrothal  at  the  castle  a  great  stone  had  fallen 
from  her  heart,  and  she  stroked  the  girl's  cheeks 
tenderly. 

And  just  then  Henry  had  appeared  with  the  disquiet- 
ing news,  and  Lieschen  had  only  delayed  a  moment  to 
ask  leave,  which  was  immediately  granted  her,  how- 
ever unwilling  the  happy  circle  were  to  do  without  her. 
"Aunt  Lieschen,  come  back  soon;"  "  Good-bye,  Aunt 
Lieschen! "  the  fresh  children's  voices  had  cried  after 
her,  while  they  flattened  their  little  noses  against  the 
window  pane.  Behind  the  curtains  a  young  man  with 
curly  light  hair  and  two  honest,  bright  eyes  had  fol- 
lowed the  young  figure,  which  under  the  umbrella  dis- 
appeared then  into  the  forest  path,  and  a  disappointed 


144 


A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


expression  settled  about  his  mouth.  What  had  become 
of  this  so  longingly  awaited  Whitsun  Monday  ?  Instead 
of  a  picnic,   rain;  instead  of  ardent  glances  into  blue 


eyes,  the  teasing  of  these  wild  children,  who  had  already 
advanced  Selldorf  to  uncle. 

And  now  the  sickness  had  been  conquered ;  the  dark 
curtains  of  the  sick-room  were  drawn  back,  the  win- 
dows opened,  and  the  young  girl  lay  on  the  sofa  and 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  145 


inhaled  with  pleasure  the  pure  woods'  air  whi oh  blew 
into  the  room  so  caressingly;  and  she  rested  her  eyes 
thankfully  on  Lieschen,  who  sat  near  her  and  talked  to 
her.  No  one  else  was  with  them,  for  a  guest  had  come 
— Blanche's  father,  as  Nelly  reported  in  a  whisper — 
who  was  talking  with  grandmother  and  Army  in  Aunt 
Stontheim's  commission.  "  I  am  truly  happy,  Lies- 
chen," she  added,  "that  I  need  not  be  there,  for  the 
moment  that  the  letter  announcing  uncle  arrived, 
grandmamma  looked  so  very  angry.  But  tell  me, 
Lieschen;  you  look  so  pale ?"  she  then  asked.  "You 
have  certainly  overtaxed  yourself  taking  care  of  me." 
The  young  girl  denied  this,  blushing.  From  without 
now  sounded  voices  and  horses'  hoofs.  "  Ah !  they  are 
returning  from  their  drive,"  said  Nelly.  "Come, 
Lieschen,  we  must  see  it."  She  rose  somewhat  lan- 
guidly and  went  to  the  window.  Down  there  before 
the  house,  as  it  seemed,  the  whole  family  was  assem- 
bled. Blanche  still  sat  on  her  horse,  in  her  black  rid- 
ing habit,  her  bold  little  hat  with  the  long  black 
feather  on  her  abundant  hair,  which  was  to-day  fast- 
ened up  at  the  back  of  her  head  in  a  heavy  puff,  instead 
of  falling  down  over  her  back,  as  usua?.  The  horse  was 
restive,  but  she  sat  perfectly  secure  in  her  saddle,  and 
with  her  little  gloved  ha:.id  patted  the  beautiful  ani- 
mal's neck  caressingly.  Army  had  already  sprung  from 
his  bay  horse;  he  stood  beside  his  betrothed  to  assist 
her  to  dismount,  and  looked  over  at  his  future  father- 
in-law,  who  was  approaching  slowly  between  the  two 
baronesses.  He  was  a  little  corpulent  man,  as 
Lieschen  could  observe,  and  seemed  to  be  stating  an 
opinion  very  zealously,  for  he  gesticulated  violently 
as  he  spoke. 
10 


146 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


Nelly's  mother  glanced  up  at  the  window  at  which 
the  two  young  girls  stood;  she  nodded  pleasantly,  and 
the  eyes  of  her  two  companions  followed  this  greeting. 
The  elder  lady  looked  away  again,  indifferently,  while 
the  colonel,  remaining  standing,  took  off  his  hat  and 


smiled  up  at  them;  then  they  heard  him  ask  who 
Lieschen  was,  but  what  was  answered  she  could  not 
understand. 

Meanwhile,  Blanche  had   dismounted,  and   Lieschen 


:r-j^3i^i~,-m,,^:>"-,^^  ^_s\.ti!j,ii>fi^mmit<fij)jjx<f}ii'-   I    .  .  iJ  .  .  ,ipp.^i!«ijqnpB>!Mqpnmp 


-(4  Maiden's  Choice.  .  147 

^  '       '  ■  .       ,.  I.  ...■■■ . — _ — . . I* 

led  her  friend  back  to  the  sofa  again.  Soon  after  a 
loud  conversation  announced  the  entrance  of  the  party 
into  the  adjoining  room.  Lieschen  took  up  her  book 
again  and  wished  to  begin  the  interrupted  reading, 
when  the  chairs  were  pushed  back  in  the  other  room, 
and  suddenly  the  voice  of  the  old  gentleman  was 
plainly  to  be  heard  by  them  through  the  tall  folding 
doors. 

"  I  am  sorry,  madame,  that  the  affair  seems  to  be  so 
little  to  your  taste;  however " 

"  It  seems,  therefore,  so  much  the  more  to  yours, 
colonel,"  the  sharp  voice  of  the  old  baroness  inter- 
rupted him. 

"  Pardon.  I  come  only  as  the  ambassador  of  Count- 
ess Stontheim,  and  have  before  remarked  emphatically 
that  I  will  not  mix  at  all  in  the  arrangement  of  the 
matter.  Nevertheless,  I  will  not  deny  that  it  seems 
most  sensible  to  me."  His  voice  betrayed  a  certain 
irritation. 

"Matter  of  opinion,  dearest  Derenberg!" 

"Certainly;  but  you  yourself  must  admit  that  Army 
is  yet  too  young,  too  inexperienced,  to  get  himself  out 
of  the  muddle — pardon  me,  baroness — in  which,  alas, 
all  the  Derenberg  affairs  are  involved.  It  requires  a 
very,  very  experienced  manager  to  bring  up  again  the 
depreciated  estate,  granted  that  one  can  win  it  back 
again.  The  forest,  for  instance — Countess  Stontheim 
spoke  to  the  lawyer  Hellwig  about  this  matter — the  for- 
est is  as  good  as  lost.  The  present  owner — what  is  his 
name? — you  must  know,  a  manufacturer  here  in  the 
neighborhood — will  not  retire  for  any  consideration. 
So  the  forest  is  lost  forever,  and  what  is  sucH  an  estate 
without  forests?" 


148  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"  Erving  not  sell  the  wood  again?"  cried  the  old 
lady;  "ha,  ha!  then  you  do  not  know  him!  With  such 
people,  it  only  depends  how  much  one  offers  them ;  for 
a  not  too  great  profit  such  tradespeople  will  sell  their 
souls.  No,  no,  my  good  colonel,  that  is  a  ridiculous 
idea  which  I  would  not  have  believed  of  you.  I  wagef 
anything,  offer  him  so-and-so  much  more  and  the  forest 
is  your " 

"  You  would  lose  the  wager,  madame,  for  Hellwig  in 
Madame  von  Stontheim's  commission  inquired  in  a 
roundabout   manner  and   received  a  decided  refusal; 

besides "     The  old  lady's  loud  laugh  interrupted 

him. 

"It  is  possible  that  you  are  right,  Derenberg,"  said 
she,  '''' iox  \K\% parvenu ,  like  all  his  kind,  hates  the  no- 
bility, and  us  in  particular.  Plebaglio !"  added  she, 
scornfully,  in  her  mother  tongue. 

"Besides,"  repeated  the  colonel,  with  perceptibly 
raised  voice,  and — "Pardon,  baroness,"  he  continued, 
politely,  as  she  was  silent — "  I  am  not  at  all  interested 
to  know  on  what  terms  you  have  placed  yourself  with 
this  man ;  that  alters  the  case  in  nowise.  I  only  wished 
to  add  that  in  regard  to  the  estate  itself  and  the  farms, 
matters  are  in  a  perfect  chaos.  It  is  enough  to  make 
one's  hair  stand  on  end,  madame — Jews,  money-lenders, 
rights  of  sale,  first,  second,  and  third  mortgages,  what 

all In  short,  the  Countess  Stontheim  prefers  not 

to  touch  the  matter,  as  an  arrangement  could  only  be 
made  by  an  enormous  sacrifice.  She  wishes,  as  I  have 
already  had  the  honor  to  communicate  to  you  early 
this  morning,  that  Army,  after  his  wedding — which  is 
fixed  for  the  autumn — should  remain  in  the  service. 
She   will    provide    the    young    couple    with    abundant 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  149 

means,  and  later,  if  Army  should  have  an  inclination 
to  become  a  landed  proprietor,  she  intends  to  buy  him 
an  estate  whose  affairs  are  in  a  settled  condition.  Cas- 
tle Derenberg  will  always  be  a  fine  summer  home  for 
the  young  couple,  and  the  house  of  his  fathers  is  pre' 
served  for  Army  in  any  case.  Eh,  Army,  you  are 
willing  to  wear  the  gay  coat  for  a  while  longer?" 

"Certainly;  I  must  agree,  uncle,"  said  the  young 
man's  voice;  "but  I  do  not  deny  that  it  will  be  hard 
for  me  to  give  up  the  thought  of  living  in  Castle  Deren- 
berg again — it  was  always  my  favorite  idea." 

"But  not  mine,"  interrupted  Blanche,  hastily.  "I 
agree  with  Aunt  Stontheim  perfectly.  I  have  already 
recently  declared  so." 

"You  do  not  know,  Blanche,"  replied  Army,  and  his 
deep  voice  seemed  to  tremble — "  you  do  not  know  what 
a  charm  there  is  in  such  an  old  ancestral  home!  You 
cannot  know,  for  you  have  never  known  the  proud  feel- 
ing of  placing  your. foot  on  your  own  sill ;  no  old  walls, 
no  deserted  rooms,  no  primeval  trees,  have  told  you  of 
long  past  times,  when  our  ancestors  lived  and  breathed 
here.  It  is  a  peculiarly  proud  feeling,  which  seized 
me  even  as  a  boy  with  all  its  force,  when  I  ran  through 
the  lofty  halls  and  rooms  of  our  castle,  and  wandered 
around  the  park ;  and  now  it  comes  over  me  stronger 
than  ever.  It  was  my  most  beautiful  dream  to  be 
established  here  again,  where  my  ancestors  in  a  long 
line  had  lived  and  died,  and  the  non-fulfilment  of  this 
dream  affects  me  very  painfully,  you  may  believe " 

"  For  Heaven's  sake!  "  cried  the  young  lady.  "  Now 
he  becomes  sentimental !  I  certainly  cannot  understand 
how  one  can  cling  to  such  an  old  rat  and  owl  nest  with 
so  much  tender  longing.     The  smallest  villa  on  the  gay 


150  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


boulevard  of  our  capital  seems  to  me  a  thousand  times 
more  alluring  than  this  tiresome,  deserted "  , 

"Hush,  children!"  interposed  the  colonel  appeas- 
ingly.  "  Let  every  one  keep  his  opinions  for  himself. 
You,  Blanche,  are  just  as  dependent  upon  Aunt  Ston- 
theim's  will  as  Army.  What  she  decides,  must  be  done; 
there  is  nothing  to  change,  and  I  think  we  may  drop 
the  matter,  and  quarrel  no  longer." 

"Very  wisely  remarked,  colonel."  The  old  lady  now 
joined  in  the  conversation,  and  her  voice  trembled  with 
suppressed  rage.  "  But  how  hard  such  dependence  is  to 
bear,  only  he  can  feel  who  has  once  been  free.  You 
do  not  feel  it.  You  have  never  stood  on  your  own  land 
and  domain.  You  grew  up,  so  to  speak,  in  dependence, 
and  so  it  is  easy  to  preach  calmness  to  other  people. 
I  find  it  strange  in  the  Stontheim;  she  has  the  means, 
and  will  not  help.  Army  is  to  remain  an  officer,  from 
the  laughable,  invented  reason  that  he  is  yet  too  young, 
as  if  older  strength  did  not  stand  at  his  side  to  advise 
and  help  him." 

"You,  perhaps,  madame,"  laughed  the  colonel. 
"  Certainly  not  badly  planned.  Financial  ability  can- 
not be  gainsaid  you.  Who  can  help  it  that  you  were 
unlucky  in  all  your  speculations?" 

"  You  are  just  as  unimprovably  malicious  as  formerly. 
Sir  Colonel,  when  I  had  the  happiness  to  see  you  here 
several  times.  But  in  this  instance  your  accusations 
do  not  hit  me,  for  it  was  really  misfortune  which  fol- 
lowed us." 

"Undeserved  misfortune,"  said  the  colonel,  with 
ironical  emphasis. 

"Uncle,  pray  let  us  leave  off.  It  excites  mamma," 
begged  Army. 


™"     H*7?-W~'v  -  .■^^^"  t  ■■?'  --       -  -"^^WJV*"  r  "■'T^r*!*  ^w-'TS'-T* 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  151 

"And,  my  boy,"  continued  the  colonel,  unconfusedly 
and  emphatically,  "  to  prevent  just  such  undeserved 
misfortune  once  more  Countess  Stontheim  wishes  that 
you  do  not  here — do  you  understand?  just  not  here — 
pass  the  first  years  of  your  marriage.  Pardon  that 
I  must  speak  so  plainly.  I  would  willingly  have 
avoided  it " 

"I  understand,"  said  the  old  lady,  coldly.  "Count- 
ess Stontheim  still  has  the  unfortunate  idea  that  I  am 
to  blame  for  the  ruin  of  the  whole  family.  She  hurled 
this  reproach  harshly  and  unevasively  in  my  face  at 
that  time,  when  grief  and  need  burst  upon  us.  It  must 
be  some  one's  fault,"  she  continued,  laughing  bitterly; 
"  and  as,  from  the  first,  they  had  treated  me  as  an  in- 
truder, and  never  could  endure  the  stranger,  the  Ital- 
ian, so  it  was  so  easy  to  heap  this  fault  upon  her  also. 
Va  bene !  You  tell  me  nothing  new,  colonel.  I  only 
regret  that  any  one  is  so — so "  She  broke  off;  evi- 
dently she  had  a  very  harsh  expression  on  her  tongue. 
The  colonel  did  not  answer. 

"Uncle,"  asked  Army,  hastily,  "what  does  this 
mean?  It  is  surely  impossible  that  aunt  asserts  that 
grandmamma " 

"Silence!  "  cried  the  old  lady,  and  at  the  same  time 
one  heard  the  rolling  of  a  chair  over  the  parquet. 

But  Lieschen  and  Nelly  sat  breathlessly  beside  each 
other,  and  held  each  other's  hands.  When  the  former 
had  heard  her  father's  name  mentioned  she  had  sprung 
up,  and  had  looked  round  the  room  helplessly;  but 
there  was  no  way  of  escape  except  through  that  room 
in  which  they  had  just  so  hatefully  soiled  her  good 
name.  The  young  girl's  slender  form  was  pressed, 
as  if  in  acute  terror,  against  one  of  the  high,  locked 


152 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


folding  doors,  behind  which  was  a  suite  of  empty 
rooms. 

"Where  shall  I  go?"  she  whispered,  anxiously,  to 
her  friend. 

"Stay  here,  Lieschen!"  begged  Nelly,  and  drew  her 


to  her.  "  They  cannot  know  that  we  can  hear  all  so 
plainly.  Ah!  please  do  not  cry,"  she  implored.  "Oh, 
if  I  were  only  well,  and  a  man  like  Army,  I  would 
teach  them  decency  when  they  spoke  of  you!"  She 
clinched  her  little  fists  angrily. 

Within,    they  heard    the  old   lady   walking   up  and 


mfff^^'fi»v^?f'^^^KT.' 


A  Maiden* s  Choice.  153 

down,  and  each  time  that  her  steps  approached  the  door 
Lieschen  started  up  and  looked  anxiously  round  the 
room,  as  if  she  sought  a  place  of  concealment. 

All  at  once  Blanche's  voice  rang  out — so  coaxingly; 
the  soft  sound  was  as  sweet  as  music  now. 

"Grandmamma,"  begged  she,  "I  have  a  request  to 
make  of  you.  I  commissioned  Army  to  make  it,  but 
he  seems  to  have  forgotten  it,  the  wretch!  Yes,  indeed; 
do  not  look  so  surprised,  you,"  she  continued,  laughing 
roguishly;  "  your  betrothed  did  not  behave  so,  grand- 
mamma, did  he?  He  always  read  your  wishes  in  your 
beautiful  eyes." 

The  last  words  sounded  more  plainly  than  the  begin- 
ning of  the  request ;  evidently  the  beautiful  fiancee  now 
stood  close  to  the  old  lady,  by  the  door, 

"  Now  she  throws  her  arms  round  grandmamma's 
neck  like  a  cat,"  whispered  Nelly.  "Oh,  she  can  beg 
and  caress,  Lieschen.     You  do  not  know." 

"Well?"  sounded  the  old  lady's  voice. 

"  I  commissioned  Army,  grandmamma,  to  beg  you  to 
permit  me  to  live  in  the  tower  room,  which  adjoins  my 
room.  Oh,  please,  please,  grandmamma,  amatissima 
mia!" 

"  It  was  very  sensible  in  Army  not  to  ask  me.  I  had 
already  refused  him  once,  and,  alas,  cannot  fulfil  your 
wish." 

"  Why  not  ? "  asked  Blanche,  in  a  changed  tone. 

"You  will  permit  me  to  keep  the  reason  to  myself." 

"Do  not  tease,  Blanche,  do  you  hear?"  said  the 
colonel's  voice.  "Old  castles  have  their  secrets,  and 
among  them  many  which  one  gladly  lets  rest." 

At  this  moment  the  door  was  opened,  and  the  old 
lady  suddenly  stood  in  the  room  opposite  the  two  girls. 


tS4 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


Lieschen  had  sprung  up;  she  no  longer  tried  to  flee, 
but  stood  perfectly  motionless.     The  evening  glow  just 


lit  up  the  sky,  throwing  a  purple  reflection  through  the 
windows  and  surrounding  the  charming,  girlish  figure 
with  a  rosy  light.  The  old  baroness  started  back  as  if 
she  saw  a  ghost,  and  stretched  her  hands  out  from  her, 
"  Dio  mio !  It  is  unheard  of !  "  cried  she,  and  stamped 
her  foot.  "Are  you  always  here  only  to  frighten 
me?" 

"I  am  sorry,  baroness,  that  I  always  have  the  mis- 
fortune  " 

"Certainly  strange  to  be  frightened  by  such  a  lovely 
apparition  !  "  said  the  colonel.  He  had  entered  the  door- 
way, and  looked  admiringly  at  the  young  girl.      "May 


RT^  -  • 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  155 

I  ask,  madame,  that  you  introduce  me  to  the  young 
lady." 

The  one  addressed  only  shrugged  her  shoulders,  while 
she  glanced  almost  compassionately  at  the  old  man 
and  went  to  the  window. 

"Well,  then,  I  must  introduce  myself.  Mademoi- 
selle, Colonel  von  Derenberg!"  said  he,  courteously. 

"This  is  my  friend,  uncle — Lieschen  Erving,"  Nelly 
completed  the  introduction.  The  young  girl  bowed 
slightly. 

"Erving?"  repeated  the  old  man,  questioningly. 

"  The  daughter  of  the  present  owner  of  the  Deren- 
berg forests,  uncle,"  said  Nelly,  and  rested  her  eyes 
full  on  his  somewhat  flushed  face. 

"Ah,  indeed!"  replied  he.  "For  that  reason  the 
name  seemed  so  familiar  to  me.  Your  father  is  prob- 
ably a  lover  of  noble  forests  ?  " 

"  Yes,  colonel,  and  besides  that,  he  needs  much  wood 
in  his  paper  factory. " 

"  Ah,  your  father  has  a  paper  factory.  But  wood — I 
think  the  best  paper  is  usually  made  of  rags?" 

A  roguish  smile  flew  over  Lieschen's  face. 

"  Certainly,  colonel.  For  that  reason  our  factory  is 
called  in  all  the  country  round  the  rag-mill,  my  father 
the  rag-miller,  and  I  the  rag-miller's  Lieschen."  Her 
whole  lovely  face  now  laughed. 

"  Rag-miller's  Lieschen  ?  "  repeated  the  colonel,  smil- 
ing also,  and  looked  merrily  at  her.  "  That  is  cer- 
tainly a  name  which  seems  unsuited  to  you." 

"Still,  I  like  it,"  said  she.  "  Every  child  calls  me 
so;  all  the  daughters  of  our  house  have  had  this 
name,  either  the  rag-miller's  Gretchen,  or  Minna,  or 
Lisette "     She  was  frightened  when   she  uninten- 


156  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


tionally  mentioned  this  name,  and  glanced  shyly  over  at 
the  old  lady,  who  still  stood  by  the  window,  and  just 
now  turned  round  as  quickly  as  if  a  gnat  had  stung 
her. 

"  Lisette  ?  "  repeated  she.  "  You  have  just  mentioned 
a  name  which  you  cannot  speak  so  proudly.  This 
Lisette  was  a  wayward  girl,  who  caused  her  parents 
great  grief " 

"  The  memory  of  Great-aunt  Lisette  is  sacred  to  me," 
replied  the  young  girl,  apparently  calmly.  "She  was 
not  wayward,  she  was  only  very  unhappy;  but,  as  I  am 
assured,  not  through  her  07un  fault,  baroness."  Her 
lips  trembled  with  excitement  as  she  spoke  these  words, 
and  the  stormy  beating  of  her  heart  sounded  in  her 
voice. 

"  Naturally!  "  cried  the  old  lady,  mockingly,  "  Such 
a  one  arranges  the  affair  as  best  suits  her;  however,  it 
was  best  for  the  'unhappy  '  Lisette  that  she  died  early, 
before  she  and  her  family " 

"Baroness!"  the  young  girl  interrupted  her,  almost 
threateningly,  "  it  is  little  noble  to  heap  disgrace  even 

upon  the  grave  of  one  who "     She  seized  her  hat, 

but  the  hands  which  took  it  trembled. 

"What  is  this  about  a  Lisette?  Who  was  she?" 
asked,  with  interest,  Blanche,  who  had  just  entered  the 
room.  "  Who  is  heaping  disgrace  upon  her,  and  what 
did  she  do?"  She  now  stood  between  Lieschen  and 
the  grandmother,  and  turned  her  head  quickly  from  one 
to  the  other. 

"  Do  not  be  so  immoderately  curious,  my  child,"  said 
the  colonel.  "  I  already  told  you  that  old  castles  have 
their  secrets,  and " 

"Who  tells  you,  then,  colonel,  that  the  castle  has 


w'W^'^^^.T^:  ..'■  ■    ''^'vr-  r 


A  Maiden* s  Choice.  IS7 


anything  to  do  with  that  affair?"     The  old  lady  had 
grown  deathly  pale. 

"Well,"  replied  he,  thoughtfully,  and  glanced  at  her 
sharply,  "  I  can  put  two  and  two  together " 

"  It  is  a  great  pity,  colonel,  that  you  are  not  a 
romance- writer.     You  have  mistaken  your  career. " 

"Good-bye,  Nelly,"  whispered  Lieschen,  bending 
down  to  her  and  pressing  a  kiss  on  her  friend's  cheek; 
then  she  bowed  slightly  to  the  others  and  left  the  room. 
She  fairly  flew  along  the  corridor  and  over  the  open 
place  before  the  castle.  In  the  linden  alley  she  sud- 
denly stood  before  a  form.     It  was  Army. 

"Miss    Erving "     She    looked    up    at   him;    his 

expression  was  serious.     "Miss  Erving,"  he  repeated, 
"  did  you  hear  what  was  said  in  our  sitting-room  ? " 

"Yes,"  replied  she,  firmly. 

"It  is  not  very — how  shall  I  say? — very  discreet  to 
listen  when  family  affairs  are  discussed " 

"  I  did  not  listen,  baron,"  cried  she,  proudly.  "If 
there  had  been  another  exit  from  the  room  I  would 
gladly  have  left  it ;  very  gladly,  for " 

"  You  could  have  gone  through  the  sitting-room " 


"  No.  Your  mother  herself  has  forbidden  me  to  cross 
your  grandmother's  path,  for  she  cannot  bear  me.  I 
am  a  daughter  of  the  house  in  which  one  cannot  asso- 
ciate in  a  proper  manner,  lieutenant.  You  know,  there- 
fore, that  I  was  forced  to  remain.  I  would  rather  have 
sprung  from  the  window."  A  bitter  expression  lay 
about  the  little  mouth  as  she  spoke  these  words. 

"Well,  in  any  case,  I  would  like  to  ask  you  not  to 
speak  of  what  you  have  heard.  The  sacrifice  of  not 
spreading  further  these  piquant  representations  is  surely 
a  hard  one — I  believe  it;  our  family  has  always  afforded 


158 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


abundant  material  for  conversation  in  the  neighboring 
circles,  but  I  think  you  will  make  this  sacrifice,  for, 
as  I  remind  you,  we  were  formerly  faithful  friends, 
were  we  not,  Lieschen?"  He  held  out  his  hand,  but 
j^  the  young  girl  drew  back,  and  folded 

'a^^-       her  arms  over  her  breast. 

needs  a  promise,"  re- 
7 ;  "  besides,  I  should 
/e  been  silent,  for  part 
of  your  conversa- 
tion would  have 
deeply  insulted  my 
father — my  father, 
in  whose  house  you 
so  gladly  came  at 
that  time  when  we 
were  the  'faithful 
friends, '  as  you  just 
now  remarked." 

He  stepped  back, 
surprised.  "  What  ? 
I  did  not  say  a  word 
about  your  father. " 
"But  listened 
while  they  called 
him  a  parvenu  — 
when  they  said  that 
he  hated  the  nobil- 
ity, and  the  Derenberg  family — and  that  he  thought  of 
revenge — and  the  calm  hearing  of  a  calumny,  while  one 
is  inwardly  convinced  of  its  untruth,  is  a  confirmation 
of  the  same.  And  not  alone  my  father — no,  they  also 
attack  the  daughters  of  our  house.     My  poor  Great-aunt 


*a?» 


ws:"" 


A  MaidetCs  Choice.  159 

Lisette,  who  was  so  beautiful  and  so  good — she  was  a 
wayward  girl,  said  your  grandmother,  and  yet  I  know 
that  it  is  not  true.  Oh,  it  hurts  so!"  Now  the  pas- 
sionate tears  broke  out,  and  she  flew  down  the  alley 
like  a  hunted  thing.  She  did  not  hear  how  he  called 
"Lieschen!"  did  not  see  how  long  he  looked  after  her, 
and  only  after  her  slender  figure  had  disappeared 
walked  slowly  and  with  gloomy  brow  hesitatingly  back 
to  the  castle. 

When  Army  entered  the  large  room  where  the  others 
were  some  peace  seemed  to  have  returned  after  the 
storm;  at  least,  every  one  was  silent.  The  colonel 
had  lighted  a  cigarette,  and  in  an  apparently  comfort- 
able frame  of  mind  leaned  back  in  one  of  the  deep  old- 
fashioned  arm-chairs,  while  the  old  baroness  sat  upright 
on  the  sofa,  and  in  nervous  haste  played  with  her  slen- 
der white  fingers.  But  Blanche  stood  in  a  deep  window 
niche  and  looked  out  into  the  park;  the  long  riding 
habit  trailed  motionlessly  on  the  old  parquet,  and  she 
remained  immovable  when  her  betrothed  approached 
her  side.  He  did  not  notice  the  displeased  question  of 
the  old  lady,  who  called  to  him  to  know  where  his 
mother  was,  and  whether  she  would  not  come  back 
soon.  He  only  saw  the  charming  figure  near  by,  which 
seemed,  in  the  tight-fitting  riding  habit,  still  more 
fragile,  more  childlike,  than  ever;  and  he  softly  took 
one  of  the  heavy  golden  strands  of  hair  which  lay 
loosened  on  the  dark  cloth  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips. 
But  the  young  lady,  without  looking  round,  shook  her 
head  violently,  and  her  little  hands  quickly  clutched 
the  hair  and  drew  it  over  her  shoulder. 
«  "Blanche!"  said  he,  reproachfully,  and  bent  forward 
to  look  in  her  face.     She  turned  away  her  head  and 


i6o  A  MaidetC s  Choice. 

looked  out,  apparently  with  interest,  into  the  quiet 
green  garden. 

"  Have  I  offended  you,  Blanche  ? "  asked  he  softly. 
**  Are  you  angry  with  me  ? " 

With  a  hasty  gesture  she  held  both  hands  to  her  ears. 
"No,  no;  for  heaven's  sake,  no!"  cried  she,  passion- 
ately, turning  her  back.  "  I  beg  you,  Armand,  do  not 
ask  such  absurd  questions!  You  see  that  for  the 
moment  I  have  no  inclination  to  listen  to  your  whis- 
pers of  love  and  your  tenderness.  Any  one  else  would 
have  understood  at  once,  and  you  ask  if  I  am  angry, 
and  Heaven  knows  what  nonsense !  "  She  stamped  her 
foot  angrily. 

Army's  face  had  become  dark-red.  "Pardon,"  said 
he,  and  went  to  the  piano.  He  opened  it  and  struck  a 
few  chords. 

"  Pray  do  not  play ! "  cried  Blanche,  and  again  put 
her  hands  to  her  ears.  He  rose.  "  Then  pray  play 
yourself, "  begged  he.  "  I  should  like  to  hear  a  little  mu- 
sic— there  is  something  so  calming,  reconciling  in  it." 
"Yes,  please  play,  my  love,"  cried  the  colonel  also, 
who  had  heard  only  the  last  of  this  little  scene,  and 
who  found  it  pleasant  to  overcome  the  painful  feeling 
between  himself  and  the  old  lady  in  this  manner. 

"  On  that  instrument  ? "  asked  she.  "  No,  I  cannot 
play  on  that.  I  cannot  bear  to  hear  the  jangling  tone. 
Besides,  I  am  too  tired  from  my  long  ride,"  she  added. 

For  a  moment  Army's  eyes  flashed  angrily;  then  he 
walked  up  to  the  despised  old  instrument,  closed  the 
lid,  and  again  went  up  to  his  betrothed.  She  had  taken 
up  her  little  riding-whip,  and  played  with  its  silver 
handle,  while  the  old  lady  rose  and  left  the  room. 

"  I  think  you  are  really  tired,  or  else  it  was  more 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  i6i 

than  mere  caprice  when  you  refused  to  play  at  my 
request,"  he  remarked,  with  enforced  calm. 

"Think  so,  dear  boy — think  so!"  said  the  old  gen- 
tleman, laughing,  and  clapped  him  on  the  shoulder. 
"  One  gets  on  best  so.  I  see  you  will  agree  splendidly 
with  her." 

Army  bit  his  lips. 

"  May  I  lead  you  to  your  room  ? "  he  then  asked, 
turning  to  his  betrothed.  "  I  propose  to  you  to  lie 
down  and  rest  a  little;  perhaps  I  will  hear  something 
from  you  after  dinner,  eh  ? " 

"I  think  not,"  replied  she;  "for  I  have  a  headache, 
and  will  remain  in  my  room  to-day." 

The  colonel  laughed.  "  Well,  good  night,  then,  and 
a  happy  recovery,"  and  with  that,  still  smiling,  and 
nodding  to  his  nephew,  he  left  the  room.  Blanche  laid 
the  train  of  her  habit  over  her  arm,  and  followed  him. 
She  walked  past  her  _/fa«^/<?  without  saying  a  word. 

"Blanche!"  said  he  softly,  and  barred  her  way, 
"will  you  not  bid  me  good  night?" 

"You  treat  me  like  a  naughty  child,"  cried  she  pas- 
sionately, and  stepped  back.  "  I  am  surprised  that 
you  do  not  desire  me  to  beg  your  pardon.  It  is  all  the 
same  to  you  whether  I  have  a  headache  or  not " 

"  Neither  the  one  nor  the  other.  I  neither  desire  an 
apology  nor  deny  my  regret  that  you  have  a  headache ; 
but  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  go  from  you  so  without 
'goodnight.'  That  is  really  not  agreeable — is  it, 
Blanche  ?  When  two  people  love  each  other  as  we  two 
do,  then  the  desire  for  an  explanation,  for  an  under- 
standing, is  so  natural." 

He  had  come  nearer  to  her  with  these  words,  and 
wished  to  draw  her  to  him,  but  she  repulsed  him  impa- 
II 


l62 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


tiently,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment a  mocking  expres- 
sion was  on  her  face. 

"  If  you  really  loved 
me,"  she  replied,  rough- 
ly, "  you  would  not  give 
me  such  silly  moral 
lectures  when  you  know 
that  I  am  ill.  It  is  fear- 
ful," she  added.  "What 
an  idea  you  seem  to  have 
of  our  mutual  position. 
This  eternal  considera- 
tion, this  submission  of 
one  to  the  other,  with- 
out daring  to  express  a 
free  opinion;  this  exal- 
tation— it  is  an  oppress- 
ive, horrible  chain,  but 
no  happiness.  I  will 
be  free — do  you  hear? 
— free!"  she  repeated, 
and  immediately  after 
the  heavy  door  slammed 
behind  the  delicate 
form. 

He  stood  there  as  if 
stunned,  and  stared  at 
the  door  behind  which 
she  had  vanished  from  his  gaze.  It  had  become  quiet 
in  the  large  room,  the  purple  glow  had  faded  from  the 
sky,  and  the  gray  veil  of  evening  sunk  gloomily  down 
and  filled  the    room  with   twilight.     The  young  man 


A  Maiden  s  Choice.  163 


walked  to  the  window  and  looked  fixedly  out  into 
the  evening  landscape,  his  lips  pressed  together  as  if 
in  deepest  displeasure;  but  then  he  started — from 
above,  sounds  met  his  ear.  Hastily  he  opened  the  win- 
dow. Upstairs  the  Faust  waltzes  were  being  played, 
with  such  rhythm  and  swing  as  only  she  could  play 
them.  The  runs  rolled  out  like  pearls,  and  in  between 
in  a  masterly  manner,  the  melody  stood  out. 

"She  is  playing!"  he  murmured,  and  his  clinched 
fist  fell  angrily  upon  the  hard  window-sill.  "  'Are  they 
without  maliciousness,  truly  'tis  a  happiness,'"  he 
laughed  bitterly,  and  left  the  room. 

Outdoors  a  soft,  mild  evening  air  surrounded  him. 
He  involuntarily  directed  his  steps  along  the  castle 
moat,  from  which  the  elder  trees  with  the  faded  blos- 
soms stretched  their  branches,  and  then  stood  under  her 
window.  The  old  tower  rose  close  beside  him,  and 
the  white  climbing  rose  which  clambered  up  on  it 
shone  out  brightly  near  him  in  the  darkness.  Upstairs 
the  playing  ceased.  But  no,  it  began  again — a  gloomy, 
sad  melody.  How  affecting  it  sounded!  Then  the  music 
suddenly  ceased  with  a  shrill  discord. 

Army  drew  a  deep  breath,  as  if  relieved.  His  heart, 
which  loved  so  honestly  and  ardently,  could  in  vain 
fathom  his  fiancee's  manner.  This  evening,  with  all 
its  force,  the  dreaded  question  forced  itself  upon  him: 
"If  she  does  not  love  you?"  and  "Rather  death  than 
renounce  her!  "  he  murmured,  walking  on,  and  involun- 
tarily thought  of  Agnes  Mechthilde,  and  the  Baron  von 
Streitwitz,  who  was  buried  here  in  the  garden.  Out  of 
tune,  he  turned  into  the  leafy  green  walk  which  lay 
nearest  him.  This  afternoon,  with  all  its  unpleasant 
experiences,  again  rose  before  him.    Repulsive  thoughts 


1 64  -^  Maiden's  Choice.  ; 

took  possession  of  him.  The  remembrance  of  the  con- 
versation between  uncle  and  grandmother,  with  the 
many  malicious  insinuations,  which  threw  a  hateful, 
distorted  light,  like  flaming  torches,  on  the  past;  the 
thought  of  Blanche's  obstinate  declaration  that  she  did 
not  wish  to  live  here,  and  then  the  reproachful  words 
which  Lieschen  had  called  to  him  there  in  the  alley 
when  he  wished  to  ask  her  not  to  betray  anything  she 
had  heard!  They  had  shamed  him  deeply,  those  sim- 
ple words,  the  pained,  reproachful  glance.  He  had 
allowed  the  brave  man  down  there  in  the  mill  to  be 
,  calumniated,  without  speaking  a  word  in  his  defence, 
from  thoughtlessness;  his  interested  attention  had  fol- 
lowed the  exchange  of  words  which  so  roughly  shat- 
tered his  favorite  wish — the  wish  to  live  here  with 
Blanche  in  the  castle   of  his  fathers.     But  Lieschen 

must  believe  that  he  thought  just  as *'  Oh,  no,  no; 

certainly  not.  Her  father  is  an  honorable,  brave  man." 
Finally,  all  that  was  wholly  indifferent — no,  what  had 
last  occurred,  had  left  the  deepest  sting  in  his  breast. 
His  fiancee's  violent  words  again  rang  in  his  ears: 
"  What  an  idea  you  have  of  our  mutual  position !  "  And 
then,  "  It  is  a  chain,  an  oppressive  chain,  but  no 
happiness!" 

"A  chain!"  he  repeated,  in  an  undertone,  while  he 
remained  standing;  but  then  he  said,  quickly:  "Ah, 
bah!  girlish  caprice,  nothing  else.  She  is  too  beau- 
tiful, too  proud,  a  too  peculiar  character  to  fit  the  nar- 
row sphere  which  is  really  a  wife's."  He  should  have 
thought  of  that,  he  pondered ;  he  should  not  try  again 
and  again  to  win  her  to  his  opinions — it  must  be  weari- 
some for  her;  she  was  right  to  be  vexed,  his  beautiful, 
proud,   beloved  fiancee.      And  she  surely  loved  hitti; 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  165 


she  had  so  often  assured  him  of  it  in  reply  to  his  stormy 
questions.  In  the  autumn,  Uncle  Derenberg  had  said — 
in  the  autumn  she  would  be  wholly  his,  irrevocably  his. 
Should  not  all  present  pain  vanish  before  this  blessed 
certainty  ? 

The  night-wind  had  risen,  and  blew  the  branches 
together  over  the  young  man's  head,  so  that  they 
rustled  softly.  It  rumpled  the  surface  of  the  dark 
pond  at  Army's  feet  and  drove  his  sad  thoughts  far 
away;  brought  reconciling  love  and  soft,  sweet  longing 
through  the  quiet  summer  night;  and  "  In  the  autumn," 
said  Army,  once  more — "  in  the  autumn  comes 
happiness. " 


X. 

Summer  was  past.  Autumn  entered  upon  his  rule,  and 
began  to  paint  the  foliage  of  the  forests  gayly;  a  crys- 
tal clear  blue  sky  arched  itself  over  the  earth,  in  the 
linden  walk  of  the  castle  park  the  first  withered  leaves 
lay  on  the  ground,  and  in  the  miller's  garden  the  asters 
and  dahlias  bloomed  in  the  gayest  splendor  of  colors. 
Nets  were  drawn  over  the  vine  trellises,  to  guard  the 
clusters  from  the  greedy  sparrows;  and  in  the  orchard 
the  ripened  fruit  showed  invitingly  its  red  and  yellow 
cheeks,  and  waited  to  be  gathered.  >» 

Everything  in  the  mill  had  gone  on  as  usual.  How 
quickly  the  summer  had  passed!  And  now  they  looked 
forward  to  the  long  winter  evenings  beside  the  warm 
stove.  The  people  in  the  mill  looked  forward  to 
something  else,  in  truth;  they  all  knew,  the  workmen 
in  the  factory  as  well  as  Minnie  and  Dorte  in  the 
kitchen,  and  Peter  in  the  stable,  that  there  would  soon 
be  a  bride  in  the  house:  whoever  had  eyes  to  see,  for 
him  it  was  as  clear  as  day  that  Mr.  Selldorf  and  "  our 
Lieschen  "  would  be  engaged.  Love  shone  so  plainly 
from  the  handsome  blond  man's  honest  blue  eyes;  and 
the  master  had  not  been  so  intimate  and  cordial  with 
any  one,  and  none  of  his  colleagues  had  received  such 
pleasant  looks  from  the  eyes  of  Liesel's  mother  as  he. 
Even  Auntie  always  nodded  to  him  benevolently,  and 
in  the  kitchen,  if  they  spoke  of  him,  said,  "  A  fine  man, 
Selldorf!  "     Only  Lieschen  seemed  to  notice  nothing  of 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  167 

all  this;  to  be  sure,  she  was  always  pleasant  to  him, 
and  polite,  according  to  her  father's  wish,  and  placed 
the  large  bunches  of  forget-me-nots  which  he  sometimes 
brought  her  carefully  in  water;  but  no  one  could  per- 
ceive the  love  which  she  should  feel  for  him,  however 
much  trouble  Minnie  and  Dora  gave  themselves. 

"She  only  acts  so,"  said  the  latter,  "because  that  is 
the  fashion  with  the  gentry;  but  really  she  feels  differ- 
ently— eh.  Auntie  ? " 

"Who  gossips  much,  lies  much!"  Auntie  had  an- 
swered. "  Do  not  trouble  yourself  about  Liesel,  but 
stay  with  your  cooking-pots.  There  will  be  a  wedding 
in  the  house  some  time.  Who  the  groom  will  be,  God 
only  knows.  We  cannot  see  into  the  future,  and  there- 
fore hold  your  tongue  about  things  which  do  not  con- 
cern you.  But  you  have  nothing  else  in  your  head  but 
men-folk  and  marriage.  Liesel  knows  very  well  what 
she  is  about."  And  then  she  nodded  her  head  gravely. 
But,  however  much  weight  her  words  usually  had,  this 
time  her  speech  went  in  one  ear  and  out  of  the  other; 
they  knew  very  well,  the  girls,  that  Mr.  Selldorf  had  an 
eye  on  the  young  lady,  and  time  would  show  who  was 
right. 

Meanwhile  Auntie  laid  in  her  winter  supplies  in 
cellar  and  dining-room  with  customary  diligence,  and 
Lieschen  must  be  present  and  assist  everywhere;  for, 
"  See,  my  heart,  you  must  learn  it  for  your  future  house- 
keeping,"  said  the  old  woman.  To-day  a  shaking  and 
beating  of  the  nut  trees  had  been  going  on  all  the  after 
noon  behind  the  house,  and  leaves  and  nuts  fell  to  the 
ground,  on  which  a  great  sheet  lay  spread  out.  Peter 
and  Christel  were  beating  the  branches  pitilessly  with 
long  sticks,  and  three  or  four  children  scrambled  around 


x68 


A  Maiden's  Ch»ice. 


joyously  on  the  ground,  and  fairly  fell  over  each  other 
in  the  haste  of  gathering. 

"Nut-gathering;  oh,  nut-gathering!"  now  cried  a 
fresh  voice,  and  in  the  next  moment  Nelly's  rosy  face 
bent  over  Lieschen's  shoulder  and    pressed    a    hearty 


kiss  on  her  cheek.     "I  saw  it  all  from  afar,"  said  she. 
"  The  poor  trees!     Good  day.  Auntie." 

"  Oh,  nut  trees  and  donkeys  must  be  beaten,"  answered 
the  latter,  and  wiped  her  hands  on  her  clean  apron  be- 
fore she  reached  them  to  the  young  girl  in  welcome. 
"  Good  day,  Nelly,  and  how  are  you  ?  What  are  you 
doing,  and  how  is  your  mamma?" 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  169 

"Thank  you,  Auntie,  pretty  well;  we  now  have  so 
much  to  do  about  Army's  wedding.  See,  Lieschen,  I 
have  brought  my  work  with  me,"  said  she,  and  pointed 
to  a  little  basket,  from  which  peeped  gay  wools.  "  But 
you,  probably,  must  help  here  ? " 

"  No,  to-day  she  can  do  what  she  will,"  said  Auntie, 
"but  to-morrow  there  will  be  plums  to  stone  for  pre- 
serving; no  doctor  can  help  her  from  that;  she  must 
know  how  it  is  done.  I  will  spare  her  the  nuts — that 
makes  one's  hands  yellow,  my  dear  —  but  to-mor- 
row  " 

"To-morrow  I  will  certainly  help.  Auntie,"  nodded 
Lieschen,  and  her  blue  eyes  looked  pleasantly  at  the 
old  woman,  while  she  had  seized  her  friend  by  the  hand 
to  draw  her  away. 

"Where  are  you  going?"  Auntie  called  after  them. 
"  Are  you  going  to  stay  in  the  garden,  or  are  you  going 
up  to  your  room,  Liesel  ? " 

"In  the  garden,"  cried  the  girls;  "it  is  so  pleasant 
and  sunny;  we  will  go  to  the  arbor." 

The  two  young  girls  walked,  arm  in  arm,  through 
the  long  walk  of  the  lower  part  of  the  garden,  and 
Auntie  looked  after  them.  Lieschen's  slender  form 
towered  considerably  above  her  friend;  her  head  was 
somewhat  lowered,  and  the  fine  dark  blue  woolen  dress 
encased  a  figure  of  the  most  charming,  moderate  pro- 
portions. Nelly  had  leaned  her  curly  blonde  head  back, 
and  looked  up  at  her,  talking;  she  seemed  like  a  child 
near  Lieschen.  Soon  they  sat  in  the  already  somewhat 
leafless  jasmine  arbor,  and  the  rays  of  the  autumn  sun 
fell  on  the  gay  embroidery  which  Nelly  had  spread  out 
upon  the  table,  and  which  now  was  being  admired  by 
both. 


fjo  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"  Do  you  not  think  I  have  been  industrious,  Liesel  ? " 
asked  the  girl,  happily. 

"Very,"  replied  she.  "You  will  soon  have  finished 
it.  How  very  pretty  this  wreath  of  oak  leaves  is,  sur- 
rounding the  coat-of-arms. " 

"  Is  it  not?"  said  Nelly,  proudly.  "And  the  best  of 
it  is  that  mamma  drew  the  pattern.  However,  Lieschen, 
I  must  be  very  industrious,  for,  only  think,  the  wedding 
is  on  the  15th  of  October!  " 

A  shadow  suddenly  fell  upon  Lieschen's  face.  "The 
15th  of  October!"  she  repeated  softly.  Nelly's  smil- 
ing expression  also  disappeared,  and  she  looked 
dreamily  out  into  the  garden;  but  then  she  eagerly 
seized  her  embroidery,  and  put  stitch  after  stitch  in 
the  fine  canvas.  For  a  while  there  was  silence  between 
them;  at  last  Nelly  let  her  needle  rest  and  glanced  at 
the  young  girl  who  sat  there  idly,  and  thoughtfully 
held  her  fine  crochet  work  in  her  hand. 

"What  are  you  thinking  about,  Lieschen ?"  asked 
she.  "I  was  just  thinking  of  former  times.  Do  you 
remember  when  Army  was  here  for  his  autumn  holidays, 
and  we  all  gathered  nuts,  or,  early  in  the  morning,  ran 
through  the  dew  to  the  spring?" 

Lieschen  nodded.  "  Do  you  know,"  continued  Nelly, 
"  I  wish  the  wedding  were  all  over.  I  think  I  shall  cry 
myself  sick  when  I  see  him  standing  before  the  altar 
with — with  his  bride,"  she  added  softly. 

"But  why,  Nelly?"  was  the  anxious  reply, 

"Listen,  Lieschen;  I  have  spoken  with  no  one  about 
it,  and  you  no  longer  come  to  us  since — well,  since  that 
afternoon,  you  know,  when  I  was  ill,  and  you,  so  con- 
trary to  your  wishes,  must  hear  the  conversation " 

"  I  told  you,  Nelly,  I  cannot.     If  your  grandmamma 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  171 

had  blamed  me,  then — but  my  father,  my  good  father — 
no,  Nelly,  I " 

"  I  know,  Lieschen.  Please  do  not  look  as  if  you 
were  going  to  cry.  I  lost  the  most  by  that.  But  you 
are  perfectly  right.  I  only  mean  that,  in  consequence, 
you  could  not  observe  Blanche's  whole  manner  as  I " 

"She  is  so  very  beautiful,  Nelly!  " 

"  But  what  do  I  care  about  the  beauty  when  she  is 
heartless  and  cold,  and  when,  above  all  things,  she 
does  not  love  Army." 

"Pray,  Nelly,"  cried  Lieschen,  crimson,  "who  says 
that?     You  certainly  imagine  it." 

"  No,  no,  certainly  not.  I  already  have  told  mamma 
so,  and  she  tries  to  soothe  me.  She  affects  every  one 
with  her  beauty,  this  Blanche." 

Lieschen  had  pressed  her  lips  together,  and  did  not 
answer  a  syllable,  but  her  face  was  still  deeply  flushed. 
Nelly  laid  her  work  aside  and  walked  round  the  table 
to  her  friend,  sat  down  on  the  bench  beside  her,  and 
threw  her  arm  round  her.  "Liesel,"  said  she,  and  her 
eyes  filled  with  tears,  "  if  you  knew  what  a  deadly 
anxiety  I  have  for  him!  See,  I  always  think  if  a  girl 
loves  a  man,  she  is  different  from  Blanche.  God  knows, 
he  must  love  her  very  dearly!  And,"  she  continued, 
as  Lieschen  started  at  the  last  sentence,  but  continued 
silent,  "she  is  so  hateful  to  my  mother;  she  has  only 
once  written  to  her  since  her  departure,  and  very  shortly 
and  coolly;  and  recently,  when  mamma  was  so  very  ill 
again,  and  we  feared  the  worst.  Army  told  her  about  it, 
but  she  did  not  once  ask  him  how  we  fared  here.  Ah, 
I  know  mamma  is  just  as  worried  about  Army  as  I," 
she  concluded,  and  tried  to  suppress  the  tears  which 
had  come  to  her  eyes. 


172 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


**  I    wrote    to    Army,"    she   began    again,    "and    he 
answered  he  had  told  her  how  much  she  wounded  him 


and  us  by  her  behavior,  but  he  also  said  in  his  letter 
that  I  should  not  be  so  vexed  with  her;  she  had  been 
brought  up  so  differently,  and  would  certainly  change. 
Now,  I  ask  you,  Lieschen,  must  I  not  be  worried  about 
him?" 

She  still  did  not  answer,  but  with  face  turned  away 
gazed  out  into  the  sunny  garden.  "Lieschen!  "  coaxed 
the  girl  poutingly,  still  struggling  with  her  tears  and 
as  Lieschen  slowly  turned  her  head  towards  her,  large 
tears  sparkled  in  her  blue  eyes  also.  "  How  sorry  I 
am!"  said  she,  and  pressed  Nelly's  hand.  "I  always 
thought  it  was  all  such  a  joy  and  happiness " 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  173 

" Grandmamma  indeed  says,"  interrupted  Nelly,"  that 
it  is  a  great  happiness,  and  the  only  possibility  of  free- 
ing us  from  many  cares,  although  she  has  now  come 
down  a  little  in  her  exalted  opinion  of  Blanche.  She 
may  well  have  imagined  everything  differently;  and 
she  is  not  going  to  the  wedding." 

"But  you,  Nelly?" 

"  Mamma  and  I,  naturally,"  said  the  girl.  "  Lawyer 
Hellwig  was  with  mamma  a  short  time  ago.  Some- 
thing of  a  trousseau  must  be  gotten  for  Army,  and  then 
our  wardrobe — no,  we  must  go ;  he  is  our  only  son  and 
brother. " 

"I  am  chilly,"  said  Lieschen,  suddenly  shuddering. 
"  The  sun  is  gone.  Come,  Nelly,  let  us  go  in  and  drink 
our  coffee  in  the  sitting-room. " 

When  they  came  out  of  the  garden.  Auntie  came  to 
meet  them  with  the  coffee  utensils  from  the  door. 
"Here  you  are,"  cried  she  pleasantly.  "Will  you  take 
your  coffee  inside  or  here?" 

"Oh,  here;  it  is  protected  by  the  house,"  replied 
Lieschen,  and  with  her  apron  brushed  the  withered 
leaves  from  the  stone  table.  "  Does  that  suit  you, 
Nelly?"     The  latter  assented,  and  gazed  at  her  friend. 

"If  only  you  are  not  chilly;  you  look  so  pale,  Lie- 
schen!" 

"Oh,  no,  not  here,"  said  she,  and  helped  the  old 
woman  spread  a  white  cloth  over  the  table.  "  There 
was  a  breeze  from  the  water  down  there.  Auntie, 
you  will  drink  some  coffee  with  us  out  here,  will  you 
not  ?  " 

"That  I  can  do,"  replied  the  old  woman.  "There  is 
a  visitor  in  the  sitting-room. "  She  seated  herself  be- 
side Nelly  on  the  bench,  and  asked  Lieschen  to  fill  her 


174  ^  Maiden's  Choice. 


a  cup.  "So  industrious?"  said  she,  then,  as  the  young 
girl  near  her  began  to  zealously  embroider  again. 

"A  wedding  present  for  Army,"  replied  she, 
pleasantly. 

"Dear  me,"  said  the  old  woman,  and  took  the  filled 
cup  from  Lieschen's  hand  with  thanks;  "  he  is  still  very 
young.  It  always  seems  to  me  as  if  it  were  only  yes- 
terday that  he  came  springing  over  the  mill  bridge  in 
his  black  velvet  dress."  Nelly  nodded,  but  Lieschen 
involuntarily  glanced  at  the  little  bridge,  under  which 
the  clear  water  flowed  briskly. 

"Who  is  in  there  with  father?"  asked  she,  with  con- 
strained voice,  as  if  she  wished  to  turn  the  conversation, 
at  the  same  time  she  smiled  at  her  mother,  whose  face 
was  visible  for  a  moment  at  the  window. 

"A  strange  gentleman — I  do  not  know  him," 
answered  Auntie,  but  then  suddenly  set  her  cup  down, 
adjusted  her  spectacles,  and  glanced  sharply  at  the  path 
on  the  other  side  of  the  stream.  "Great  heavens!" 
said  she  then,  "  was  not  that  Sanna,  Nelly,  who 
walked  there  between  the  trees?  Now  she  is  behind 
the  elms  and  willows.  I  have  not  seen  her  for  a  long 
time,  but  I  think  it  is  her  walk.  See,  really  it  is  she," 
cried  she,  and  then  pointed  to  the  large  form  in  the 
dark  dress  and  the  white  apron  which  hurriedly  crossed 
the  bridge. 

"  Sanna!  "  cried  Nelly  also,  and  sprung  up.  "  Heav- 
ens! what  has  happened  ? " 

"  The  baroness  requests,"  said  the  old  servant's  voice, 
with  its  foreign  accent — her  hard  features  seemed  flushed 
from  her  hurried  walk — "  that  mademoiselle  should 
come  to  her  immediately." 

"For   God's   sake,    Sanna,"    asked   the  young  girl 


A  Maiden'' s  Choice.  175 


hastily,  gathering  up  her  embroidery,  *'  what  has  hap- 
pened?    Shall  I  come  to  mamma  or  grandmamma?" 

"To  your  grandmamma,  naturally,"  replied  the  old 
woman,  without  even  looking  at  Lieschen  or  Auntie, 
who  were  helping  the  friend  put  her  gay  worsted  in  the 
basket.  "  Your  grandmamma  is  very  angry  that  you 
were  not  at  home,  so  angry  that  I  at  once  got  ready 
and  ran  here,  because  your  mamma  thought  you  were 
at  the  mill  again,  and  Henry  had  no  time — he  had  to 
carry  a  letter  to  the  post. "  - 

"But  tell  me,  Sanna,"  begged  Nelly,  and  looked  up 
anxiously  at  the  large,  thin  woman,  "  is  any  one  ill,  or 
has  bad  news  arrived  ? " 

"  Your  grandmamma  has  received  a  letter  with  some 
sad  news,"  replied  the  old  woman,  and  glanced  darkly 
at  Auntie,  who  had  risen. 

"For  God's  sake!"  cried  Nelly,  and  looked  up  at 
Sanna  in  terror,  "  it  surely  is  not  Army?  Sanna,  dear- 
est Sanna,  you  surely  know.  Please  tell  me,  I  beg 
you,"  and  she  ran  up  to  her  and  seized  her  hands  plead- 
ingly. But  Lieschen  sat  down  on  the  stone  bench;  it 
seemed  to  her  that  her  feet  would  no  longer  carry  her; 
and,  as  if  out  of  her  mind,  she  gazed  with  great,  wide- 
opened  eyes  at  the  group. 

"I  do  not  know,"  replied  the  old  servant,  shrugging 
her  shoulders,  while  Nelly  put  her  hands  over  her  face 
and  cried  out  again,  sobbing, 

"Army!     Merciful  God!  if  it  were  Army!  " 

"  Calm  yourself,  Nelly  dear,"  Auntie  now  consoled 
her,  and  took  the  weeping  girl  in  her  arms.  "  It  is  not 
your  brother,  or  else  she  would  not  stand  there  so 
calmly.  Go  home  quickly,  and  be  consoled.  It  is 
not  he." 


176  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"Oh,  Auntie,"  sobbed  she,  "I  can  scarcely  stand 
from  fear." 

"Do  not  cry,  mademoiselle,"  now  said  old  Sanna, 
sharply  emphasizing  the  "  mademoiselle."  "Countess 
Stontheim  is  dead;  but  your  grandmammma  forbade  me 
to  speak  of  it  here  in  the  mill,  because  she  wishes,  if 
possible,  to  avoid  all  gossip,  and  here " 

She  swallowed  the  rest,  while  she  gave  a  hostile 
glance  at  Auntie,  who  was  still  standing  near  the  weep- 
ing girl. 

"Well,  well,"  remarked  Auntie,  "you  might  keep  it 
to  yourselves  forever.  Miss  Sanna.  What  does  it  con- 
cern me  whether  the  countess  is  dead  or  not  ?  But  you 
do  not  need  to  frighten  the  poor  child  so  with  your  news 
of  death ;  it  was  time  enough  if  she  learned  it  at  home." 

"  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  you  at  all.  I  do  what 
my  mistress  commands,"  replied  the  old  servant  scorn- 
fully. 

"  Oh,  yes.  I  know  you  from  formerly,"  said  Auntie, 
whose  blood  had  suddenly  rushed  to  her  face.  She 
looked  piercingly  at  her  enemy. 

"I  will  walk  a  little  way  with  you,  Nelly,"  cried 
Lieschen,  as  if  waking  from  sleep,  and  followed  her 
friend,  hurrying  on  ahead,  while  Sanna  made  no  effort 
to  follow  her,  but  rather  stood  as  if  rooted  to  the 
ground. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  asked  she,  and  looked,  with 
an  expression  of  unappeasable  hostility  at  Auntie,  who 
was  collecting  the  coffee  serivce.  Since  long  years 
these  two  women  for  the  first  time  again  stood  opposite 
each  other;  they  had  grown  old,  but  the  hatred  which 
had  burned  in  their  youth  had  gently  smouldered  on, 
and  in  this  moment  flamed  up  brightly  again. 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


177 


"What  do  I  mean?"  replied  Auntie  and,  her  great 
honest  eyes  fixed  upon  the  tall,  dark  figure,  fearlessly 
came  a  step  nearer.  "  What  do  I  mean  ?  Oh,  Miss 
Sanna,  you  should  not  ask  that.     I  see  by  your  face  that 


you  know — know  very  well;  it  surely  has  often  enough 
sat  on  your  pillow,  and  made  you  toss  and  tumble,  and 


12 


178  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


kept  you  from  sleeping  in  the  long,  dreadful  nights, 
and  lain  on  you  like  a  nightmare,  which  would  not 
vanish  even  if  you  prayed  a  hundred  times  to  your 
rosary,  and  called  upon  all  your  saints — that  was 
conscience.  Miss  Sanna,  and  a  bad  conscience  has 
wolf's  teeth,  which  strike  sharply  and  deeply " 

"  Oh,  misericordia  !  "  cried  Sanna,  and  struck  her  hands 

together  with  a  passionate   gesture  of  rage,  "  that  is 

what  I  get  for  coming  here  myself;  the  baroness  was 

right  when  she  always  forbid  us  to  associate  with  this 

plebaglio,  these  miserabile." 

"What  your  baroness  says  is  wholly  indifferent  to 
me,"  declared  Auntie;  "  and  you  can  spare  your  Italian 
words,  which  I  do  not  understand;  but  one  thing  I 
must  say  to  you.  Miss  Sanna,  as  chance  has  brought  us 
together  again;  I  have  long  wished  to  do  so.  You  and 
your  baroness,  you  carry  a  sin  on  your  conscience  which 
cries  to  heaven.  Perhaps  you  thought  that  no  one  knew 
of  it;  perhaps  you  rightly  guessed  that  there  is  one  who 
knows  the  deed,  and  how  it  happened  that  a  young, 
blooming  life  must  sink  into  the  grave;  but  I  tell  you 
— and  you  can  tell  the  gracious  lady  up  there — God 
looks  through  his  fingers  for  a  long  time,  but  not  for- 
ever, and  He  will  not  be  mocked;  and  I — I,  the  old 
Auntie  in  the  paper  mill — will  one  day  tell  it  to  your 
proud  mistress's  face,  that  she  is  a " 

''''  Ailo!"  hissed  the  Italian,  and  beat  the  air  with 
her  hands ;  "  what  a  crazy  person !  I  am  surprised  that 
you  do  not  say  that  we  murdered  the  arrogant  thing." 

"I  could  assert  that  with  perfect  right,"  declared 
Auntie.  "  And  if  no  one  was  more  arrogant  than  she  the 
world  would  fare  well." 

"  Shall  I  let  that  be  said  to  me  ?"  cried  old  Sanna, 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  179 


flushing  crimson.  "Will  you  not,  perhaps,  also  assert 
that  we  gave  her  poison  or  strangled  her?  If  Miss 
Lisette  died,  it  was  her  own  fault.  What  right  had 
she  to  imagine  that  the  baron  would  marry  her  ?  Why 
did  she  have  a  love-affair  beyond  her  rank  ?  Such  a 
gentleman  has  a  hundred  eyes,  and  sees  more  than  one 

girl." 

"  So  ? "  now  cried  the  old  woman,  and  set  down  the 
tray  with  the  cups,  which  she  had  just  raised.  "Will 
you  calumniate  Baron  Fritz  also?  He  was  better  than 
the  whole  crowd  up  there  " — she  pointed  to  the  castle — 
"taken  together,  and  if  he  became  a  wild  fellow  it 
was  your  fault.  Why  did  you  take  away  his  love  from 
him?  As  to  imagination,  the  blessed  Lisette  imagined 
nothing  at  all.  She  was  honorably  betrothed  to  Baron 
Fritz,  and  as  truly  as  I  stand  here  she  would  have  be- 
come his  wife  if  false,  miserable  people  still  worse 
than  robbers  and  murderers  had  not  torn  them  apart." 

Sanna  laughed  roughly  and  scornfully. 

"Do  you  really  think  so?  And  I  tell  you,  as  truly 
as  she  was  rag-miller's  Lisette,  so  truly  is  there  no 
place  for  such  up  there." 

"Arrogance  always  leaves  its  trail,"  said  Auntie 
scornfully,  "Thank  God!  our  kind  are  too  good  and 
too  brave,  and  are  not  suited  to  such  a  sinful  household 
as  was  up  there  at  that  time.  The  Derenbergs  were 
always  people  of  the  good  old  kind;  nobility  was  not 
only  in  their  blood,  but  also  in  their  hearts,  and  so  was 
it  right;  but  since  then — now  you  know  what  I  mean — 
they  would  have  turned  in  their  old  family  vault  if  they 
had  known  how  far  it  would  go  with  their  proud  family. " 

"Auntie!  Auntie!"  cried  the  anxious  voice  of  the 
Biistress  of  the  house  from  the  window. 


i8o  A  Maiden's  Choice.  \ 

—       ■ "  '■  ■  -  ■■■■.■  „ _ __^^ 

"Immediately,  Minna,"  replied  she,  and  picked  up 
the  tray.  "  I  am  coming  already.  You  know  we  old 
women  like  to  talk  over  old  affairs,  especially  when  one 
has  not  seen  the  other  for  so  long  as  Miss  Sanna  and 
I,"  and  then  she  crossed  the  threshold  without  once 
looking  round. 

"But,  Auntie,  for  Heaven's  sake!"  said  Mrs.  Erving 
reproachfully,  as  the  old  woman  entered  the  room  with 
flushed  face,  "what  have  you  been  saying?  I  was 
afraid,  the  great,  gloomy  person  looked  so  furious " 

"I  was  not,  Minna — I  was  not,"  replied  the  old 
woman,  triumphantly.  "  It  did  me  good  to  be  able  to 
speak  once.  I  have  waited  for  it  for  years.  At  times 
I  even  believed  I  must  die  without  once  telling  them 
to  their  faces  what  a  great  sin  they  had  committed,  and 
now  to-day — oh,  I  was  much  too  mild;  but  if  I  had  not 
had  the  false  woman  under  God's  open  sky,  but  in  my 
room,  then  you  should  have  heard,  Minna " 

"Auntie,  Auntie!  'Vengeance  is  mine!'  What 
would  the  pastor  say  if  he  saw  you  now?" 

"I  do  not  wish  to  revenge  myself,"  said  the  old 
woman  softly,  "  for  revenge  always  has  an  after-sting. 
But,  believe  me,  as  I  saw  her  standing  there,  the  woman 
who  helped  on  the  misfortune,  it  seemed  to  me  as  if 

some  one  poured  boiling  oil  into  my  heart "     She 

broke  off,  for  just  then  Lieschen  entered  the  room. 

"Countess  Stontheim  is  really  dead,"  said  she. 
"  Nelly's  mother  said  so  when  she  met  us  in  the  park. 
Army  wrote  she  was  to  be  buried  to-morrow,  and  after 
the  burial  he  will  bring  his  betrothed.  The  wedding 
will  not  be  postponed;  all  is  to  remain  as  before.  Tell 
me.  Auntie,  was  Sanna,  whom  I  just  met  on  the  forest 
path,  with  you  until  now?" 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  i8i 

"Until  now,  my  darling;  we  had  a  merry  conversa- 
tion together." 

The  young  girl  glanced  anxiously  and  questioningly 
at  her;  she  then  seated  herself  at  the  window  and  looked 
dreamily  out  at  the  tops  of  the  tall  lindens  for  a  long 
time.  Occasionally  a  yellow  leaf  fell  down  slowly, 
and  a  crowd  of  little  birds  fluttered,  chirping,  from 
branch  to  branch.  She  scarcely  saw  it,  she  had  so 
much  to  think  of,  and  then  her  hands  clasped  each 
other,  and  her  red  lips  moved  silently.  It  had  grown 
quiet  in  the  cosey  sitting-room.  Auntie  had  long  been 
busy  elsewhere  with  the  housekeeping,  and  in  the  ad- 
joining room  the  mother  walked  about  here  and  there 
arranging  things. 

"  If  he  had  died!  "  she  whispered,  under  her  breath. 
But,  no — no — it  is  better  so;  dear  God,  let  him  be 
happy — for  his  mother's  and  Nelly's  sakes!"  she  added 
hesitatingly. 

Several  days  had  elapsed ;  Lieschen  had  industriously 
assisted  Auntie,  and,  more  frequently  than  had  been 
usual  of  late,  her  clear  laugh  had  rung  out.  "  Laugh, 
my  darling,"  said  the  old  woman  once,  in  great  joy, 
"for  God  loves  laughter."  "She  is  growing  happy 
again — she  has  gotten  over  it,"  thought  she.  The  child 
was  so  young,  and  life  lay  before  her  so  wide  and  happy, 
and  then,  involuntarily,  another  picture  rose  to  her 
mind — that  of  the  handsome  blond  man.  "  They  would 
make  a  handsome  pair,"  whispered  she,  half  aloud. 
"  I  only  recently  discovered  how  very  nice  he  is,  when 
the  little  boy  fell  into  the  water,  and  he  so  unhesitat- 
ingly sprung  in,  and  then  gave  the  mother — the  lame 
beggar  woman — a  piece  of  money  for  the  fright  she 
had  had." 


1 82  A  Maiden* s  Choice. 

And  to-day  she  had  looked  after  him  for  a  while,  as, 
early  in  the  morning,  with  gun  over  his  shoulder,  he 
had  gone  hunting  with  the  master,  and  had  noticed 
very  plainly  how  a  quick  glance  flew  up  at  the  window 
behind  which  Lieschen  still  slept  soundly,  and  thought, 
"If  she  could  see  him  now.  No  one  can  look  finer." 
But  Lieschen  had  no  ear  for  her  when,  afterwards,  she 
had  praised  him,  and  had  only  laughingly  turned  the 
conversation  again  and  again  to  something  else.  Now 
it  was  noon,  the  soup  was  steaming  on  the  table  in  the 
dining-room,  and,  outside,  Lieschen  sprung  to  meet  her 
returning  father. 

"Good  morning,  papa!"  cried  she  happily.  "What 
do  you  bring  with  you?"  Then  for  the  first  time  she 
perceived  that  behind  him  stood  Mr.  Selldorf,  who  had 
taken  his  green  hat  from  his  curly  head,  laid  his  right 
hand  in  her  father's,  and  looked  at  him  with  a  beseech- 
ing glance. 

"Until  this  evening,  then,  dear  Selldorf,"  she  heard 
her  father  say,  then  another  hand-shake,  and  the  young 
man  had  disappeared  without  looking  at  her.  The 
stately  man  greeted  his  little  daughter  absently  and 
threw  down  his  hunting  bag.  "Where  is  mother?  I 
must  speak  to  your  mother,"  said  he  hurriedly. 

"But,  Frederick,  the  soup!"  cried  Auntie  from  the 
kitchen. 

"  Yes,  sure  enough — afterwards,  then,"  said  he.  But 
at  table  he  often  passed  his  hand  over  his  face,  and 
then  he  smiled,  and  suddenly  became  grave  again. 
Once  he  looked  so  closely  at  Lieschen,  and  with  that 
so  sadly,  that  she  put  down  her  fork,  and  asked, 

"  Father,  what  has  happened  to  you  ?"  and  "  Erving. 
has  anything  unpleasant  occurred?"  asked  his  wife. 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  185 

"Oh,  no,  indeed!"  replied  he  gayly,  and  forced 
himself  to  be  merry.  And  immediately  after  a  hurried 
meal  he  followed  his  wife  into  the  sitting-room. 
Lieschen  walked  up  and  down  in  the  garden,  and  mean- 
while glanced  apprehensively  at  the  sitting-room  win- 
dows; at  length  she  went  into  the  house  again,  but 
then  Auntie  came  into  the  room,  and  motioned  to  her 
to  remain  outside. 

She  seated  herself,  full  of  dim  forebodings,  on  the 
stone  bench  under  the  window.  Within,  something  was 
animatedly  discussed,  and  at  length  she  heard  Auntie's 
voice,  "No,  Frederick;  one  thing  you  must  promise 
me — if  she  does  not  wish  to,  then  do  not  persuade  her, 
for  a  forced  marriage  is  perpetual  misery.  " 

"Naturally,"  replied  the  father;  "but  still  one  can 
represent  to  her  all  the  advantages  and  disadvan- 
tages. " 

The  young  girl  there  on  the  old  stone  bench  had  sud- 
denly grown  pale  as  death.  All  at  once  clearness  had 
come  to  her,  as  to  what  was  discussed  within.  Had  she, 
then,  lived  in  a  dream?  Her  parents,  her  dear,  good 
father — could  they  be  willing  to  give  her  away?  She 
must  go  away  from  the  dear  old  mill  with  a  strange 
man.  Away  from  her  mother.  Auntie,  and  all  who 
were  dear  and  whom  she  trusted  ?  She  should  no  longer 
live  in  her  little  room,  no  longer  see  the  tower  of  the 
old  castle  over  there  ?  She  pressed  her  hands  to  her 
breast,  and  it  seemed  to  her  that  she  heard  her  heart 
beat  at  this  idea. 

"Lieschen,  come  in  here,"  now  called  her  father. 
Mechanically  she  rose  and  obeyed.  There  she  now 
stood  in  the  sitting-room;  on  the  sofa  sat  her  mother, 
di,   the    window   Auntie,    and  both    looked    at   her  so 


i86  A  Mai  den*  s  Choice. 


strangely,  so  tenderly — yes,  it  seemed  as  if  her  mother 
had  wept. 

The  old  woman  at  the  window  rose  and  went  out; 
she  did  not  wish  to  disturb  in  what  the  parents  noM 
had  to  say  to  their  child;  she  quietly  went  into  hei 
room,  and  took  the  Bible  from  the  bureau,  then  she  sal 
down  in  the  old  arm-chair,  and  folded  her  hands  over 
the  book.  "God  alone  knows  what  is  right,"  she 
whispered.  "  May  He  govern  her  heart,  and  so  all  will 
be  well."  Outdoors,  the  rays  of  the  autumn  sun  lay 
on  the  gay  asters,  and  long  white  threads  hung  like  a 
silver  veil  around  the  almost  leafless  gooseberry  bushes. 
"When  spring  comes  again  how  will  it  be  in  this 
house?"  She  thought  of  her  darling,  who  was  now  so 
suddenly  placed  before  the  most  important  decision  of 
life;  how  will  Lieschen  receive  the  announcement? 
Had  she  really  not  remarked  how  dear  she  had  become 

to  the  young  man?    And  did  she  not  like  him  a  lit 

"Ah,  no!"  The  old  woman  shook  her  head;  she  knew 
what  was  in  the  young  heart.  "  No,  she  does  not  love 
him;  and  even  if  she  gives  him  her  consent — forces 
herself  to  it,  because  her  parents  wish  it — would  she 
then  be  happy?  Ah!  forced  love  and  painted  cheeks 
do  not  last.  The  poor  child !  "  she  whispered  to  herself. 
"If  they  only  do  not  persuade  her!  Minna  will  not; 
but  Frederick — Frederick  is  foolishly  fond  of  the  young 
man." 

She  opened  the  old  book  and  glanced  at  the  yellow 
leaves;  but  she  could  not  read — the  letters  danced  be- 
fore her  eyes,  and  her  hands  trembled;  and  now  the 
door-knob  was  turned  softly — will  the  face  of  a  happy 
young  betrothed  now  look  in,  covered  with  a  deep 
blush?    The  old  woman  held  her  breath:  then  the  dool" 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  187 


opened  slowly,  and  the  young  girl  stood  on  the  thresh- 
old. Had  she  grown  since  a  little  while  before? 
She  entered  calmly,  only  her  pale  face  was  very  grave. 

"Auntie,"  said  she  softly,  "I  have  said  no." 

The  old  woman  did  not  answer;  she  only  nodded  her 
head  as  if  in  agreement.  "  You  do  not  love  him,  child  ?" 
she  then  asked.  "  See,  such  marriage  questions  are 
peculiar  things.", 

"I  can  love  no  one,  Auntie,"  said  a  voice  near  the 
old  woman's  ear,  and  two  soft  arms  were  clasped  round 
her  neck,  and  a  pale  face  hid  itself  on  her  breast.  So 
she  lay  on  her  knees  beside  the  old  woman,  who 
stroked  the  brown  braids. 

"  God  bless  you,  my  Liesel !  "  whispered  she.  "  You 
have  done  right." 

In  the  sitting-room  the  miller  walked  excitedly  up 
and  down,  and  Mrs.  Erving's  feyes  were  red  and  tear- 
ful, and  she  pleaded: 

"But  still,  if  she  does  not  love  him,  Erving!  " 

"  Minna,  it  is  quite  too  hard  to  speak  sensibly  with  a 
woman  on  such  subjects,"  said  he,  standing  before  her. 
"  Just  look  at  the  boy !  He  is  handsome,  he  is  honor- 
able; he  loves  her,  is  of  a  good  family;  his  father 
writes  me  they  will  worship  the  girl — is  not  that  all 
that  she  can  desire?  But  there  is  something  behind  all 
this.      I  cannot  be  dissuaded  from  believing  that." 

"But,  I  beg  you,  Erving,  what  could  it  be?" 

"  And  then,  I  do  not  know  the  girl — she,  who  usually 
is  so  obedient  and  docile — how  she  stood  there  with 
pale  face,  and  said,  'no,'  and  nothing  but  'no.'  God 
help  me!  who  would  have  thought  that ? " 

"She  is  indeed  your  daughter,  old  fellow,"  pleaded 
Mrs.    Erving,    rising  and   going  up  to   her    husband. 


i88 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"  You  know,"  she  continued,  attempting  to  smile,  "  how 
your  father  wished  you  should  marry  Agnes;  then  you, 
likewise,  said  'no,'  and  nothing  else." 

"But  still  that  was  different;  at  that  time  I  already 
knew  you  and  loved  you;  but  here — she  has  scarcely 
put  her  nose  out  of  the  nest.      God  knows,  nothing  has 


ever  been  so  hard  for  me  as  to  bring  the  boy  such  news 
this  evening." 

He  remained  standing  at  the  window,  and  looked 
displeasedly  through  the  panes.  "Really,  when  one 
thinks,"  he  continued,  and  drummed  impatiently  on 
the  window  with  his  finger — "  when  one  thinks  what  the 


A  Maiden* s  Choice.  rSp 

foolish  girl  rejects!  I  would  have  taken  Selldorf  into 
partnership;  they  could  have  lived  here.  Now,  I  see 
already  it  is  our  fault;  we  have  spoiled  her,  and  Auntie 
has  put  the  crown  to  it  all.  God  knows,  it  is  very 
vexing! " 

"  But,  Erving,  Erving,  I  beg  you!  If  one  heard  you! 
It  is  just  as  if  you  had  never  loved  the  child;  as  if  you 
had  only  brought  her  up  to  marry  her  to  your  own 
advantage. " 

The  voice  sounded  reproachful.  He  did  not  answer, 
also  did  not  turn  around  when  the  door  now  softly 
opened  and  Auntie  entered. 

She  stood  for  a  moment.  "Well,  well,  Minna!"  then 
said  she.  "  You  are  crying — no  one  is  dead,  and  there 
is  no  such  haste  with  courting.  There  is  not  a  handful, 
there  is  a  whole  land  full — the  right  one  will  come 
yet" 

The  miller,  at  the  window,  made  a  violent  movement, 
as  if  he  would  answer  sharply;  then  he  said,  calmly, 
"You  speak  as  you  understand.  Auntie." 

"  Oh,  I  should  think  in  such  matters  I  did  not  exactly 
fall  on  my  head,  and  have  seen  a  little  bit  more  of  life 
than  you.  Liesel  is  seventeen  years  old — that  is, 
scarely  out  of  her  child  shoes;  a  hundred  wooers  will 
yet  come  to  the  mill.  Why,  then,  should  she  take  the 
very  first?  He  is  a  fine  fellow,  Selldorf — yes,  but 
tastes  differ,  and  love  without  love  in  return  is  a  ques- 
tion without  an  answer,  and  causes  unhappiness.  And 
now  let  it  be,  good  Frederick,  and  do  not  show  her  an 
angry  face,  for  she  is  your  only  one.  Why,  then,  will 
you  force  her?  All  the  anger  is  of  no  use,  and  you 
cannot  command  in  such  affairs;  therefore,  let  there  be 
peace,  and  be  glad  that  you  can  yet  keep  your  child. 


190        ■  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


When  she  once  has  a  husband,  then  she  is  no  longer 
yours." 

"Very  good,  very  good!"  he  replied,  impatiently, 
and  began  anew  his  wandering  up  and  down  the  room. 
The  old  woman  did  not  add  another  word;  she  knew 
that  she  had  attained  her  aim;  and  so  she  took  her 
stocking  from  her  knitting-bag  and  seated  herself  in 
her  chair. 

"Have  you  spoken  with  her?"  asked  the  mother, 
after  a  long  pause. 

"Certainly!  She  came  to  me,  and  told  me  how  it 
was;  and  at  last  she  cried,  and  bejBfffed  me  to  help 
pacify  her  father. " 

"  Wh  -jre  is  she,  then  ? "  asked  he. 

"She  went  upstairs  to  her  room." 

"So?"  replied  he,  and  walked  up  and  down  again; 
but  then  he  approached  the  door,  and  went  out. 

"  I  know  where  he  is  going,"  nodded  the  old  woman, 
and  smiled. 

"Good  Auntie,"  said  the  mother;  "you  always  find 
the  right  words."  And  she  came  to  her  and  with  her 
delicate  white  hand  stroked  the  old  face;  and  then  she 
bent  down  and  pressed  a  kiss  on  the  work-hardened 
hand.     "  You  are " 

"  Never  mind  that,  Minna;  do  not  make  a  fuss  about 
it;  it  is  not  worth  the  trouble.  He  was  really  very 
angry  ? " 

"It  would  have  passed.  Auntie;  but  I  have  never 
known  him  so  vexed — it  frightened  me." 

"Well,  look,  Minna,"  said  she,  and  pointed  out  in 
the  garden;  and  as  they  now  looked  out,  the  miller 
walked  slowly  down  the  path,  his  arm  around  his  little 
daughter,  and  she  had  leaned  her  head  on  his  shoulder 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  191 

and  looked  up  at  him.  He  spoke  to  her,  and  she  smiled 
at  him. 

"  My  good  husband!  my  dear  child!"  said  the  woman 
at  the  window,  softly. 

"  And  so  must  it  be,"  added  Auntie.  "  That  is  peace 
in  the  house,  and  peace  is  happiness.  It  has  always 
been  so  here." 


XI. 

In  the  castle,  the  news  of  the  death  of  the  Countess 
Stontheim  had  not  caused  very  much  sorrow ;  the  young 
baroness  and  Nelly  had  not  known  the  deceased  at  all. 
Nelly  had  wound  wreaths,  and  sent  them  with  some 
sympathetic  lines  to  Blanche,  and  then  the  three  ladies 
had  put  on  mourning,  in  order  to  satisfy  outward  form — 
chiefly  on  Blanche's  account,  who,  from  Army's  letter, 
was  expected  at  Derenberg  for  a  long  stay.  Army 
and  her  father  were  to  accompany  her. 

The  old  baroness  was  in  quite  an  elevated  frame  of 
mind;  her  large  eyes  sparkled  with  new  life,  and  daugh- 
ter-in-law and  grand-daughter  could  scarcely  remember 
to  have  seen  the  old  lady  so  talkative,  so  sympathetic, 
and  so  lovable.  So  to-day  she  sat  in  her  room;  a  small 
fire  burned  in  the  fireplace,  and  filled  the  cool,  lofty 
room  with  a  pleasant  warmth.  She  had  leaned  back  in 
the  arm-chair,  and  her  eyes  followed  old  Sanna,  who 
was  busy  dusting  the  many  frail  ornaments  on  the 
dainty  writing-tablie  with  a  feather  duster.  Occasion- 
ally she  glanced  at  a  letter  which  she  held  in  her  hand, 
and  then  watched  the  old  servant  closely.  The  latter 
had  just  taken  hold  of  one  of  the  red  silk  curtains 
which  hung  behind  the  writing-desk,  in  order  to  arrange 
it  in  proper  folds,  and  smoothed  it  down  with  her 
fingers,  when  suddenly  there  was  a  peculiar  splitting 
sound.     "  Oh,  cielo  !"  cried  the  old  woman,  and  showed 


A  Maiden^ s  Choice.  193 

her  mistress  the  long  tear  which  had  been  made  in  the 
rotten  silk.     "  C>  mi  displace!"  added  she,  frightened. 

She  knew  her  mistress  on  such  occasions,  and  awaited 
a  sharp  reproof  for  her  carelessness,  but  to-day  she 
laughed,  and  said:  "What  is  it?  Bah!  the  silk  is  rot- 
ten; it  must  soon  be  renewed.  Look  at  the  carpet, 
Sanna,   how   faded  the   red   is!     I  will  send  for  some 

samples  from  B soon — naturally,  red  again — this 

warm  color  is  the  most  beautiful." 

The  old  woman  looked  at  her  joyously.  "  Oh, 
signora!  "  said  she,  flatteringly,"  I  shall  die  of  joy  if  you 
once  more  have  everything  beautiful  as  formerly,  even 
on  account  of  the  arrogant  people,  who  think  they  can 
say  everything  that  they  think  to  our  face,  because  we 
are  poor.      I  will  be  glad." 

"Oh,  cielo^  Sanna,  titto,  titto/"  cried  the  old  lady, 
and  quickly  made  a  gesture  of  aversion;  "it  is  per- 
fectly indifferent  to  me  what  they  say.  You  know  I  do 
not  like  to  hear  the  conversation  of  common  people 
about  me.  Let  them  do  what  they  will ;  that  is  the 
fourth  time  since  yesterday  that  you  have  wished  to 
unburden  your  heart  to  me  over  gossip  which  probably 
originated  in  the  mill."  Then  she  took  up  the  letter 
again  and  became  absorbed  in  the  few  lines,  and  a 
proud  expression  was  on  her  delicate  mouth. 

"  Blanche  is  composed  and  calmer  than  I  had  ex- 
pected, dear  grandmamma,"  she  read.  "It  is  strange 
what  a  strong  mind  dwells  in  this  little  girl's  body; 
she  arranges  everything  with  a  foresight  and  wisdom 
which  I  must  admire,  even  if  I  were  not  the  man  wholly 
in  love  that  I  am.  Immediately  after  the  opening  of 
the  will,  at  which,  naturally,  Blanche's  father  will  be 
present,  and  after  the  necessary  decisions  are  made, 
13 


19^  A  Maiden  s  Choice. 

Blanche  comes  to  Derenberg.  The  wedding  remains 
fixed  for  the  old  date — at  least,  Blanche  did  not  refuse 
when  I  made  her  this  proposal,  although  she  did  not 
assent  very  joyfully,  which  is  scarcely  to  be  expected, 
however,  in  the  present  circumstances.  How  will  it 
then  be,  dear  grandmamma?  I  hope  that  Blanche  will 
yet  be  persuaded  to  live  in  my  dear  old  Derenberg;  my 
heart  swells  at  the  thought.  Well,  we  will  see.  It 
seems  to  me  that  this  death  has  made  a  deep  impression 
on  her;  she  is  quieter  and  more  calm  now — sometimes 
too  quiet;  so  that  I  am  anxious,  and  ask  whether  it  is 
really  only  deep  grief  which  has  this  effect  upon 
her." 

"Very  good!"  whispered  the  old  lady;  "and  I  will 
make  use  of  this  mood.  It  must  be  strange  if  now, 
when  my  chief  enemy  is  gone,  my  will  is  not  carried 
out.  It  cannot  possibly  be  hard,  although  the  future 
Mrs.  von  Derenberg  possesses  quite  a  cultivated,  de- 
fiant little  head.  Oh,  dio  mio^  when  she  once  feels  my 
hand  over  her,  and  is  Army's  wife,  then  she  shall  learn 
to  modestly  yield  her  own  will.  Sanna!"  cried  she, 
then,  in  an  undertone,  as  if  she  just  remembered  the 
presence  of  her  maid,  but  the  old  woman  had  vanished 
from  the  room. 

The  baroness  rose  from  her  comfortable  position. 
"  The  first  thing  that  I  do,  as  soon  as  the  wedding  is 
over,  will  be  to  come  to  an  understanding  of  affairs, 
and  work  myself  into  the  state  of  things  under  its  guid- 
ance; but  not  Hellwig — Hellwig  never  comes  into  the 
house  again  to  me.  Then,  to  apparently  let  Blanche 
have  her  way — the  laws  are  made  so  wisely  in  this 
country  that  a  wife  counts  for  as  good  as  nothing;  the 
husband  alone  acts.      Whether  she  is  satisfied  with  that 


*     A  Maiden's  Choice.  195 

or  not  is,  at  least  before  the  courts,  quite  indifferent — 
she  must  submit." 

She  rose,  and  waliced  to  the  window.  "  It  is  highest 
xime,"  she  continued,  in  her  soliloquy,  "to  restore  this 
wilderness    of    overgrown    thicket,    shattered,    empty 

pedestals,  neglected  lawns "     She  stood  there  for  a 

>ong  time,  and  before  her  eyes  the  picture  began 
gradually  to  change;  again  the  dark-green  velvet 
lawn  spread  out,  again  white  marble  statues  shone 
through  the  groups  of  trees,  and  above  her  the  old 
banner  of  the  Derenbergs  floated  in  the  breeze ;  and,  as 
t'ormerly,  brilliant  equipages  drove  through  the  grounds, 
and  happy  guests  again  filled  the  decorated  rooms;  the 
master  of  the  house  descended  the  broad  steps,  and  be- 
fore him  glided  the  dainty  form  of  his  young  wife,  with 
her  bright  red  hair.  Yes,  she  was  beautiful.  When 
had  a  Derenberg  ever  had  a  homely  wife  at  his  side  ? 

So  she  dreamed — the  old  lady  at  the  window  of  the 
desolate  castle — and  a  dazzling  future  rose  in  joyous 
imagination;  she  would  once  more  be  wealthy  and 
happy. 

And  now  the  day  on  which  they  expected  the  be- 
trothed pair;  and  the  Colonel,  who  was  to  accompany 
them,  had  come.  The  windows  were  wide  open  in 
Blanche's  room,  and  the  fresh  autumn  air  blew  into  the 
luxuriant,  comfortable  rooms;  the  sunbeams  sparkled 
on  the  pale-green  shining  satin  folds  of  the  walls  and 
the  puffy  upholstering.  Everywhere  were  fresh  autumn 
flowers  in  vases  and  baskets;  and  Nelly  looked  care- 
fully around  to  see  that  the  petted  child  should  miss 
nothing.  In  her  simple  black  woollen  gown  she  looked, 
in  this  radiant  boudoir,  almost  like  a  poor,  enchanted 
princess,  who,   through  chance  or  a  good  spirit,   had 


196  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

again  been  placed  in  the  splendid  surroundings  which 
really  belonged  to  her.  The  oval  face,  with  the  deli- 
cate, rosy  complexion,  stood  out  charmingly  from  the 
deep  black  of  her  gown,  and  the  white  hands  which 
peeped  out  from  the  crape  cuffs  were  almost  too  small 
for  a  grown  girl. 

"It  certainly  is  charming,  this  room,  grandmamma," 
said  she,  and  glanced  at  the  old  baroness,  who  just  then 
appeared  in  the  frame  of  the  door. 

**  Certainly !  But  for  you,  mio  cuore^  I  would  find  it 
prettier  in  blue." 

"Oh,  for  me!"  she  laughed.  "Dear  grandmamma, 
such  a  room  of  silk  and  lace  and  I!  I  should  feel  un- 
happy in  this  perfume  and  shine." 

"You  will  learn  to  be  happy  in  it,  my  child." 

The  young  girl  glanced  up  quickly;  that  sounded  so 
serious. 

"If  my  little  Nelly  is  very  good,"  continued  the  old 
lady,  and  came  nearer  to  the  astonished  girl,  "  and  tries 
to  restrain  her  wild  manners,  then  perhaps  I  will  give 
her  such  a  charming  room  for  a  Christmas  present." 

"Grandmamma,  you!"  cried  the  girl,  incredulously. 
"  Ah,  no ;  I  would  rather  have  furniture  such  as  Lieschen 
has,  with  blue-and-white  flowered  cretonne — it  looks 
beautiful." 

The  old  baroness  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  turned 
round,  for  her  daughter-in-law  entered. 

"  Here  I  have  just  received  a  package  of  dress  mate- 
rials and  patterns,"  said  she.  "Did  you  order  them, 
mamma?  I  think  it  must  be  a  mistake;  there  is  silk 
furniture  covering,  and  all  sorts  of  things  which  we 
cannot  possibly  use." 

"I  ordered  them,   Cornelia,"  declared  the  one  ad- 


A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


197 


dressed  impatiently.  "  Have  the  things  taken  to  my 
room. " 

Nelly  flew  away  to  attend  to  it,  and  the  two  women 
stood  silently  opposite  each  other. 

"But,  dear  mamma,"  said  the  younger,  at  length, 
"  why  did  you  do  that  ? " 

"  Have  you  looked  in  the  glass,  Cornelia?"  was  the 
sharp    answer.     "You  can    scarcely   show  yoi>r'elf  in 


that  garb  before  our  people,  let  alone  at  the  wedding." 
She  laughed. 

"  I  had  already  bought  a  white  dress  for  Nelly,  and 
for  me  a  black  silk. " 

"  Dearest  Cornelia,  the  thinnest  of  silks — circus  rider 


198  A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


silk,  as  they  say — I  know  it,"  replied  the  old  lady, 
scornfully,  "Enough;  it  remains  settled  that  I  buy 
what  I  think  necessary " 

"But,  mamma!"  •        i 

"You  perhaps  wish  to  ask  where  I  will  get  the 
money?  Well,  then,  Cornelia,  the  tradespeople  have 
earned  thousands  from  me  formerly,  and  the  Baroness 
Derenberg  can  still  get  credit.  For  the  present,  that 
is  enough ;  for  the  rest,  let  me  care.  Or  do  you  perhaps 
wish  that  your  son  should  be  married  in  a  perfectly 
empty  drawing-room,  where  the  curtains  will  scarcely 
hang  to  the  poles,  because  they  are  moth-eaten.  The 
furniture  coverings  have  holes  as  large  as  that  dish 
there?  Your  daughter-in-law  would  turn  up  her  nose — 
do  you  not  think  so  also?" 

"Oh,  I  had  not  thought  of  that,"  replied  the  pale 
woman  gently,  and  closed  the  door,  as  a  cool  breeze 
blew  the  silken  curtains  far  into  the  room.  "  I  only 
thought,"  she  added,  returning,  and  standing  before 
the  splendid  upright  piano  which  Blanche  had  had  sent 
her  during  the  summer,  because,  she  said,  she  could  not 
play  on  the  old  piano  in  the  sitting-room — "  I  thought 
because  we  are  so  wholly  alone,  and  in  the  family " 

"  There  we  have  again  your  perfectly  unbearable 
views,  Cornelia.  Army  is  no  peasant,  who  celebrates 
his  wedding  where  he  accidentally  meets  his  girl;  he  is 
the  son  of  one  of  the  oldest  families  in  the  country, 
and  his  bride  a  relative  of  our  house;  and  therefore  1 
will  take  care  that  this  ceremony  at  least  takes  place  in 
a  suitable  manner.  It  would  make  a  tiger  of  a  lamb, 
Cornelia,  the  way  you  think  of  such  things."  \ 

The  old  lady  walked  past  her  daughter-in-law,  and, 
with  deeply  flushed  face,  went  to  the  window. 


A  Maiden* s  Choice.  199 

"I  must,  above  all  things,  urgently  request,  Cor- 
nelia," she  continued,  "  that  you  somewhat  modify  your 
plebeian  views  when  Blanche  is  in  the  house.  They 
are  the  means  best  suited  to  thoroughly  embitter  her 
stay  here;  she  can  bear  the  eternal  anxious  watching 
and  saving  which  measures  out  the  butter  for  every 
roll  as  little  as  I;  and  now,  before  all  things,  it  is 
necessary  to  keep  her  fast  here — fast,  at  every  price. 
When  once  the  Amen  is  spoken  to  the  marriage  service, 
then  we  are  out  of  all  difficulty." 

A  deep  blush  had  risen  to  the  cheeks  of  the  daughter- 
in-law,  and  tears  came  to  her  eyes.  For  whom  did  she 
save?  For  whom  did  she  care?  Why  did  she  wear  the 
poorest  clothes?  So  that  that  eccentric  woman  yonder 
might  feel  as  little  as  possible  the  really  oppressive 
poverty,  and  should  to  a  certain  extent  live  as  formerly. 
Every  evening  she  sent  Sanna  up  to  her  room  with  tea 
and  cold  meat,  and  Nelly  and  she  contented  themselves 
with  a  soup,  or  simple  bread  and  butter. 

"Now  you  will  probably  weep  again,  Cornelia," 
again  said  the  voice  which  spoke  the  German  so 
sharply  and  awkwardly,  while  it  seemed  to  fairly  melt 
in  melodious  softness  in  its  mother  tongue.  "  Miseri- 
cordia!  what  sentimental  creatures  German  women  are! 
It  makes  me  beside  myself  when  I  see  these  tears  spring 
forth  at  once.  What  I  have  just  said  to  you  is  only  for 
our  good — if  you  only  would  see  it!  " 

At  this  moment  Nelly  entered  again.  "  It  is  five 
o'clock  already,  mamma,  and  we  can  expect  them  by 
six.  The  table  is  set  downstairs,  and  Henry  will 
make  a  fire  here  quickly,  and  close  the  windows.  I  am 
so  curious,"  she  continued,  "to  hear  what  they  will  tell 
us,  to  see  how  Blanche  looks  in  mourning,  and  learn 


200 


A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


how  the  will  read."     At  these  words  she  looked  at  het 
mother  and  saw  the  tears  in  her  eyes.     "  Do  not  cry, 


mamma,"  whispered  she.  "Army  is  coming — our  deal 
Army!" 

"The  will?"  asked  the  grandmother;  ^' mon  Dieu, 
Army  half,  she  half,  and  diiferent  legacies  to  old  ser- 
vants, hospitals,  etc.  ;  and  probably  also  to  the  colonel, 
who  surely  looked  out  for  himself." 

"Yes,  grandmamma  dear;  but  don't  you  remember 
that  at  that  time  Army  said  that  Blanche  was  everywhere 
considered  the  sole  heiress ' 

"Ah.  bail',  but  then  it  is  all  the  same — the  husband 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  201 

always  decides  over  the  wife's  property — but  I  do  not 
believe  it;  the  Stontheim  loved  Army  far  too  dearly." 

"  But  if  the  will  was  made  before,  grandmamma  ? " 

"Then  she  has  surely  added  a  codicil,"  replied  the 
old  lady  impatiently. 

"  If  I  only  knew  exactly  when  they  will  come!  "  said 
Nelly.  "Patience,  patience!  Will  I  ever  learn  that?" 
She  laughed  at  herself.  "  Only  see  what  a  beautiful 
sunset,  mamma.  Now  it  will  soon  be  dark.  I  look 
forward  so  much  to  seeing  Army." 

Gradually  darkness  fell  over  castle  and  park,  and  star 
after  star  shone  from  the  heavens  in  sparkling  glory; 
the  lamp  was  not  yet  lighted  in  the  cosy  sitting-room; 
only  the  fire  on  the  hearth  threw  a  soft  light  into  the 
room.  The  young  girl  there  in  the  deep  window  recess 
looked  up  into  the  brilliant  sky  with  great  dreamy 
eyes;  she  knelt  near  her  mother's  chair,  and  had  put 
her  arm  round  her.  The  deeply  moved  woman  pressed 
a  handkerchief  to  her  eyes,  and  her  breast  rose  and  fell 
in  soft  weeping. 

"  My  dear  little  mother,"  pleaded  the  girl,  in  a  sweet 
voice,  "do  not  cry  your  dear  eyes  red!  What  will 
Army  think  when  he  comes?  See,  grandmamma  did 
not  mean  it  so  badly " 

"Ah,  Nelly,  that  is  not  it,"  replied  the  weeping 
woman  softly.  "  The  whole  day  a  fear,  an  uneasiness 
which  I  can  scarceJy  describe,  has  followed  me.  God 
grant  that  nothing  has  happened  to  the  boy!  " 

"But,  mamma,"  consoled  her  daughter,  and  leaned 
her  blonde  head  on  her  mother's  breast,  "  what  could 
have  happened  to  him?  He  is  surely  driving  over  in 
the  old  yellow  post-chaise,  and  sitting  opposite  his 
Blanche,    therefore    in  the  most  comfortable  situation 


202  A  Maiden* s  Choice. 

which  there  can  be  for  him.  The  Colonel  is  telling 
anecdotes,  and  they  are  all  looking  forward  to  a  warm 
supper,  and  to  seeing  your  dear,  friendly  face,  my  little 
mother." 

At  this  moment  the  woman  in  the  arm-chair  started 
up.  "What  is  the  matter,  mamma?"  asked  Nelly 
anxiously. 

"It  seemed  to  me  that  I  heard  his  step,"  whispered 
the  mother.     "  Did  it  not  seem  so  to  you,  Nelly?" 

"No,  mamma;  and,  indeed,  it  is  not  possible." 

All  was  quiet  in  the  large  room;  the  whispers  ceased; 
there  was  no  sound  but  the  crackling  of  the  fire  on 
the  hearth,  the  soft,  quick  ticking  of  the  old  clock,  and 
occasionally  the  apprehensive  sigh  of  the  mother-heart, 
which  trembled  with  foreboding  suffering. 

And  then — then — yes,  that  was  his  step  in  the  cor- 
ridor. "  Nelly,"  cried  the  baroness,  with  half-suffocated 
voice,  and  the  young  girl  started  up  and  hurried  through 
the  room;  and  then  the  door  opened — a  tall  figure 
entered. 

"Army!"  rejoiced  his  sister;  "Army!"  came  also 
from  the  lips  of  the  mother;  "Army,  is  it  you?" 

"Yes,  mamma,"  replied  he,  but  his  voice  sounded 
constrained,  as  if  he  must  force  himself  to  appear  calm. 

"  My  dear,  good  boy,"  said  the  mother  tenderly,  and 
put  her  arm  round  him.  "Army,  dear  Army,"  coaxed 
Nelly;  "but  please  say — where,  then,  is  Blanche?" 

He  stood  near  the  fireplace,  still  in  cap  and  over- 
coat, and  the  soft  reflection  of  the  dying  fire  did  not 
let  his  features  be  distinguished;  but  at  this  question 
it  seemed  as  if  a  tremor  ran  over  his  form. 

"  Army,  where  is  your  betrothed  ? "  now  cried  the 
mother. 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


203 


"  I  have  none,  mamma!"  His  voice  almost  broke  in 
deep,  intense  pain.  Nelly  gave  a  cry  of  fright;  but 
the  mother  had  no  answer.  This  was  the  misfortune 
which  she  had  suspected.  She  pressed  her  son's  hand 
tighter  in  hers,  as  if  she  would  rouse  him  from  a  fear- 
ful dream. 

"  Do  not  make  me  weak,  mamma !  "  he  implored,  and 
slowly  drew  her  to  the  nearest  chair.  "  It  is  of  no  use; 
how  could  I  even  imagine" — he  laughed  bitterly — "  that 
she Get  a  light,  Nelly!  "  said  he,  then,  shortly  and 


JTOUghly,  "  and  prepare  grandmamma.     I  have  not  much 
time.     I  must  leave  again  to-morrow." 

With  trembling  hands  Nelly  seized  the  lamp.     The 
bright  light  fell  upon  Army's  pale  face,  he  still  stood 


204  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


on  the  same  spot,  and,  as  if  out  of  his  mind,  seemed  to 
stare  into  vacancy. 

"Army,  my  dear  Army!"  whispered  his  sister,  and, 
sobbing,  put  her  arms  round  him.  He  absently  stroked 
her  hair.     "What  is  it,  Nelly?" 

"Please  come;  let  me  take  off  your  coat,"  pleaded 
she,  and  drew  the  heavy  garment  from  his  shoulders. 

"Grandmamma!"  cried  she,  then,  and  ran  to  meet 
the  old  lady. 

"Army,"  said  she,  hastily  entering,  "what  does  this 
mean?  I  would  not  believe  it  when  Sanna  asserted  she 
had  met  you  in  the  corridor.  Where  is  Blanche? 
Where  is  the  Colonel  ?  What  does  it  mean  that  you 
alone " 

'It  means,"  replied  he,  slowly,  emphasizing  each 
syllable,  "  that  my  betrothed,  early  this  morning, 
shortly  before  our  departure,  gave  me  my  dismissal ; 
she  does  not  love  me,  she  sent  word  to  me,  as  reason 
for  her  sudden  resolution,  and,  God  knows,  the  reason 
is  sufficient!"  Again  he  laughed  scornfully.  The  old 
lady  started  back  as  if  struck  by  lightning. 

"  It  is  not  possible!  "  stammered  she,  deathly  pale. 

"  I  said  so  myself  this  morning,  when  the  Colonel 
made  me  this  announcement,"  continued  the  young  man, 
"  and  I  have  clutched  my  forehead  a  hundred  times,  and 
asked  myself  whether  I  am  mad,  or  something  similar. 
But  no;  it  is  a  fact;  Blanche  von  Derenberg  is  no 
longer  ray  fiancee." 

"Army,  did  nothing  go  before  this,  then?"  asked  his 
mother,  who  lay  back  in  her  chair  as  if  crushed. 

" What  went  before ?"  he  answered  cuttingly.  "Oh, 
well,  the  opening  of  the  will.  Blanche  von  Derenberg 
is  sole  heiress  to  the  great  wealth — that  is  all.     Wh^ 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  205 

should  she  marry  a  man  whom  she  does  not  love  ?     But 

calm  yourself,    grandmamma "      He  came  a  step 

nearer  to  the  tottering  woman,  who  clung  with  both 
hands  to  a  chair.  "  She  is  certainly  a  noble  character; 
she  suspects  that  I  have  incurred  debts  through  my  be- 
trothal, and  therefore  she  announced  to  me,  through 
her  father,  that  she  is  ready  to  pay  all  my  debts.  That 
was  surely  a  consolation  for  the  dismissed  fiance',  for 
the  stupid  boy  who  clung  with  all  his  foolish,  hot  love 
to  this  false  being!  " 

He  had  played  with  a  glass  during  these  words,  con- 
tinually turning  it  round;  now  he  seized  it  and  hurled 
it  to  the  floor,  so  that  it  crashed,  and. the  pieces  flew 
far  and  wide  over  the  old  parquet. 

"  Army!  "  came  anxiously  from  his  mother's  lips,  and 
her  trembling  hands  were  stretched  out  to  her  son. 
But  the  old  baroness  had  drawn  herself  up.  "  We 
cannot  be  satisfied  with  that,"  said  she  violently. 
"  Blanche  surely  inherits  on  the  condition  that  you  be- 
come her  husband.  I  still  have  a  letter  from  the 
Stontheim " 

"Do  you  think,  then,"  asked  the  young  officer,  and 
with  a  couple  of  strides  stood  before  his  grandmother — 
"  do  you  think,  then,  that  I  would  ever  look  at  her 
again?  She  might  lie  on  her  knees  before  me,  and 
implore  me.  I  would  push  her  away,  and  if  I  were 
starving,  and  you  all  with  me,  not  a  penny  would  I  take 
from  her  favor;  rather  a  ball  through  my  head. 
Yes,  indeed,  a  ball,  which  finally  is  the  most  sensible 
thing;  it  also  helped  my  father,  as  Blanche  told  me, 
when  I  once  begged  her  urgently  to  live  with  me  here 
in  Derenberg;  she  was  afraid,  she  declared,  in  this 
mysterious  nest,  where  the  last  owner  had  taken  his 


2o6  A  Maiden' s  Choice. 


own  life — ha,  ha!  Fine  reasons,  against  which  no  sen- 
sible man  could  urge  anything!  "  His  voice  sounded 
hoarse,  and  almost  insane,  and  the  dark  eyes  shone  from 
his  distorted  face  in  consuming  anguish. 

"Mamma!  mamma!"  cried  the  young  girl  heart- 
brokenly;  "Army  is  ill;  he  does  not  know  what  he  is 
saying!  " 

The  pale  woman  rose  from  the  arm-chair,  walked 
over  to  her  son,  and  seized  his  hand;  she  wished  to 
speak,  but  her  lips  moved  without  uttering  a  sound. 
Her  eyes  looked  at  him  so  pained  and  pleadingly,  as  if 
they  would  say,  "Spare  me!  Have  I  not  suffered 
enough  in  life?!'  He  did  not  see  them,  the  supplicat- 
ing glance;  quite  impatiently,  he  tried  to  free  his  hand 
from  hers.  "  There,  there,  mamma ;  never  mind.  I 
do  not  think  of  dying;  I  will  live — for  you;  I  am  so 
young,  said  the  Colonel;  my  whole  life  is  yet  before 
me.  I  am  your  natural  support,  as  far  as  a  bankrupt 
nobleman  and  indebted  officer  can  be;  besides,  here  is 
a  letter  from  the  Colonel  to  Baroness  von  Derenberg," 
he  added,  taking  a  letter  from  his  pocket-book  and 
throwing  it  on  the  table.  "  Probably  an  explanation  as 
to  why  it  is  best  thus,  and  so  on." 

He  passed  both  hands  through  his  dark  hair  and 
walked  to  the  window;  then  he  strode  firmly  and 
quickly  through  the  room,  and  went  out. 

For  a  few  moments  there  was  silence;  what  had  just 
happened  laid  a  spell  on  all  present.  Nelly's  tears 
were  restrained;  she  held  both  arms  round  her  mother, 
who  stood  so  strangely  still  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
and  seemed  not  to  notice  the  anxious  girl's  caresses  at 
all.  The  old  baroness  had  gone  up  to  the  table,  and 
the  fine  paper  of  the  opened  letter  crackled  softly  in  the 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  207 

trembling  hands.  Suddenly  she  laughed — a  loud, 
mocking  laugh. 

"See  here,  Cornelia!  There  it  stands,"  cried  she. 
"What  did  I  tell  you  to-day?  'Another  reason  for  the 
request  of  my  daughter  of  your  grandson, '  "  she  read, 
"'to  give  her  back  her  liberty,  is  that  she  was  not 
pleased  with  the  Derenberg  circumstances — the  why? 
Spare  me;  why  should  we  say  bitter  things  to  each 
other,  when  we  are  about  to  break  off  all  relations  for 

the  rest  of  our  lives '     Do  you  see,"  she  interrupted 

herself  violently,  "  that  is  the  consequence  of  your,  of 
Nelly's,  actions  to  the  petted  girl.  Instead  of  subordi- 
nating yourselves,  instead  of  having  consideration  for 
her  caprices,  spoiling  her  a  little,  you,  Cornelia,  never 
laid  aside  the  mask  of  a  suffering  martyr,  and  were 
tediousness  in  person;  and  Miss  Nelly,  she  put  on  her 
most  unbearable  mood,  and  played  the  mentor  to  every 
innocent  caprice  which  she  had.  Now  you  have  the 
result,"  cried  she,  in  a  voice  trembling  with  rage. 
"  Army  may  thank  you,  you  alone,  for  the  downfall  of 
all  his  hopes.  Oh,  it  is  enough  to  make  one's  hair 
stand  on  end,  to  be  chained  to  so  much  tiresome  think- 
ing and  sensibility;  so  many  simple,  stupid  views — the 
misfortune  of  my  life!  " 

The  old  lady  had  clinched  her  delicate  hands,  and 
looked  at  mother  and  daughter  with  an  expression  of 
indescribable  scorn. 

"  Grandmamma,  you  have  a  right  to  scold  me"— the 
young  girl  freed  herself  from  her  mother  and  stepped 
protectingly  before  her — "but  leave  mamma  out  of  the 
game.  Pardon  that  I  venture-  to  speak  so  to  you;  I 
cannot  help  it;  a  hundred  times  already  it  has  enraged 
me  to  hear  you  accuse  mamma  so  harshly.     This  after 


2o8 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


noon  I  saw  her  weep  at  your  unjust  reproofs,  of  which 
the  one  just  spoken  is  the  most  groundless  which  ever 
crossed  your  lips.  Mamma  was  always  pleasant  to 
Blanche — more  loving  than  you  ever  were — and  mamma 
was  the  only  one  who  took  Blanche  under  her  protec- 
tion when  she  was  hateful  and  rude.     I  certainly,  I  grant 


v>^JC- 


you,  did  not  love  my  future  sister-in-law,  because  1 
instinctively  felt  that  she  had  only  engaged  herself  to 
Army  from  constraint,  only  because  of  aunt's  wish; 
because  she  saw  in  him  the  means  of  retaining  aunt's 
favor  and  money.  Had  she  foreseen  how  it  would  hap- 
pen she  would  not  have  let  him  persuade  her,  and  still 


A  Maiden' s  Choice.  209 

less  would  she  have  wasted  a  couple  of  precious  weeks 
of  her  life  here  with  us.  And  I  say  it  is  fortunate 
that  it  has  come  about  so,  and  Army  can  thank  God  on 
his  knees  that  aunt's  death  occurred  before  the  wed- 
ding; and  therefore,  grandmamma,  I  beg  you  to  leave 
mamma  in  peace,  and  do  not  make  her  ill  by  your 
undeserved  reproaches — reproaches  which  she  has  not 
deserved  on  account  of  this  false,  heartless  creature,  who 
even  slandered  our  father  in  his  grave,  and  accused  him 

of  suicide Merciful  God !  "  she  interrupted  herself, 

and  her  voice,  which  at  the  last  words  had  been  almost 
suffocated  by  sobs,  now  sounded,  from  fright,  like  a 
scream ;  and  she  had  already  sunk  down  upon  the  floor 
beside  her  mother,  and  tried  to  restore  the  unconscious 
woman  to  consciousness  again. 

"Oh,  cielo^  cielo!"  murmured  the  old  lady;  "  what  a 
life — what  a  fearful  life!  " 

It  had  long  ago  struck  midnight,  and  still  Nelly  sat 
at  the  bedside  of  her  feverish  mother.  She  was  the 
only  one  who  held  up  her  head  at  the  fearful  change  of 
affairs.  She  had  put  her  unconscious,  exhausted  mother 
to  bed,  and  as  much  as  possible  removed  the  traces  of 
the  preparations  which  yesterday  evening  had  been 
made  to  receive  the  daughter-in-law,  and  bride  of  the 
only  son.  She  had  wept  softly  through  the  long  cor- 
ridor, and  listened  at  the  door  of  Army's  room;  the 
steps  of  the  restless  wanderer  up  and  down  had  consoled 
her.  And  now  she  sat  quietly  again,  and  watched  the 
uneasy  slumber,  and  occasionally  she  breathed  a  kiss 
upon  the  fine  hands  which  were  folded  so  tightly  against 
the  quickly  heaving  breast.  The  gray  dawn  of  the  new 
day  broke  through  the  curtains  and  gradually  took  on 
a  rosy  hue. 
14 


2IO  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


Nelly  went  to  the  window.  Down  below  lay  the 
park;  the  leaves  of  the  trees  lay,  wet  and  heavy,  on 
the  ground  covered  with  hoar  frost;  the  red-browos  of 
the  maples  stood  out  from  among  the  autumnal  yellow 
leaves,  and  a  fine,  white  mist,  which  hung  in  the  tops 
of  the  tall  trees  of  the  park — like  a  light,  transparent 
veil,  tinged  rosily  by  the  rising  sun — lay  over  the 
woods.  Weary  and  worn,  the  young  girl  leaned  her 
head  against  the  panes  and  closed  her  eyes;  then  she 
heard  a  noise  behind  her,  and  the  pushing  back  of  a 
chair. 

"Mamma!"  cried  she,  as  she  saw  her  mother,  with 
feverish  haste,  putting  on  one  article  of  clothing  after 
another. 

"  I  have  slept  so  long,  Nelly,  and  have  not  once  con- 
soled Army.  It  is  already  morning.  No,  let  me;  I 
must  go  to  him;  he  shall  not  wholly  lose  his  belief  in 
humanity;  he  is  still  much  too  young  for  that.  Do 
not  hold  me  back,  Nelly.  He  will  not  sleep;  it  is  not 
easy  to  sleep  after  such  grief."  She  scarcely  suffered 
her  daughter  to  put  a  shawl  round  her,  and  hurried  out 
through  the  sitting-room. 

The  girl  did  not  venture  to  follow  her;  her  mother's 
face  had  looked  so  grave,  the  eyes  so  worn  with  great 
inward  misery.  She  crept  to  the  adjoining  door;  then 
suddenly  a  piercing  scream.  Hastily  she  rushed  out, 
and  flew  through  the  long  corridor.  The  door  of  her 
brother's  room  was  open;  there  stood  her  mother,  and 
tremblingly  clung  to  a  table. 

The  young  girl's  frightened  eyes  in  a  moment 
glanced  around  the  large  room:  there  was  the  old 
canopy  bedstead,  the  pillows  tumbled;  on  the  table,  a 
half-emptied  bottle  of  wine,  near  it  a  glass;  over  the 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  2 1 1 


sofa  the  bare  wall — the  large  picture  which  had  hung 
there  stood  with  its  face  to  the  wall;  there  lay  the 
epaulettes  near  the  sword  on  a  chair;  but  Army — 
where  was  Army  ? 

"He  is  gone!  "  stammered  the  pale  lips  of  the  trem- 
bling woman;  "he  is  gone,  Nelly.  If  he — if  he — like 
his  father " 

"What  then,  mamma?     What,  for  heaven's  sake?" 

"  If  he,  Nelly— if  he Oh,  I— merciful  Heaven !  " 

she  said,  as  if  out  of  her  mind.  "  Hurry,  Nelly ;  look  for 
him!"  she  implored,  hastily.  "I  cannot;  tell  him  he 
must  stay  with  me.  I  have  lived  through  that  fearful 
experience  once — that  is  enough;  a  second  time  I 
cannot  bear." 

"Mamma,"  implored  the  girl,  in  deathly  anguish, 
"  what  do  you  mean  ? " 

"Quick!  quick!  So,  go,  but  hurry!  He  shall  not 
die;  he  shall   live.      Go,  or  else  they  will  bring  him 

also  to  me,  so  pale  and  bloody "    She  shuddered, 

and  pointed  to  the  door. 

The  terrified  child  understood  what  her  mother 
wished,  and,  as  with  eagle's  claws,  fear  seized  her 
heart.  She  flew  from  the  room ;  where — where  should 
she  look  first?  Mechanically  she  ran  down  the  stairs. 
The  tower  door  was  ajar;  in  wild  haste  she  flew  over 
the  castle  place,  past  the  stone  bears,  into  the  linden 
walk.  Her  brother's  desperate  manner,  the  fearful  in- 
sinuation about  her  father — now  a  frightful  certainty — 
dawned  upon  her.  She  pressed  her  hand  to  her  breast, 
and  stood  motionless.      Where  could  he  be  ? 

"  Army!  "  cried  she,  but  it  seemed  as  if  the  cry  would 
not  leave  her  throat.  "Army!"  All  was  deathly  quiet 
around  her. 


212 


A  MuiderCs  Choice. 


The  withered  leaves  lay  damp  and  wet  at  her  feet;  a 
pair  of  little  birds  fluttered  in  the  branches,  and  looked 
down  with  curious  black  eyes  at  the  anxious  young 
child  of  man.  "Army!"  she  gasped  out  once  more, 
with  the  exertion  of  all  her  strength,  and  then  a  long, 
echoing  call  like  a  jodel — thus  had  they  called  each 
other  as  children;  he  must  hear  that. 

But  there  was  not  a  sound  in  answer;  only  a  whisper- 
ing passed  through  the  old  linden  trees,  as  if  they 
shook  their  heads  in  dissent,  in  order  to  say,   "  He  is 


not   here."     "In   the    pond,    perhaps — in   the    pond," 
thought  she,   and  when  she   now   hurried  through  the 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  213 

thick  bushes  a  never  known  fear  of  this  quiet,  this  sol- 
itude, seized  her.  What  if  she  did  not  find  him? 
What  if  he  could  no  longer  hear  when  she  called  him? 

If  he,  pale  and  bloody Her  heart  contracted,  but 

she  walked  on. 

There  lay  the  little  dark  pool,  as  calmly  as  if  there 
were  no  storms,  no  misery,  in  the  world;  pond-lilies 
and  withered  leaves  floated  motionlessly  on  the  smooth 
surface,  and  the  stone  bench  on  the  bank  was  empty. 
She  sighed  with  relief,  and  hastily  walked  on;  the  hang- 
ing branches  struck  her  in  the  face,  and  scattered  dew 
on  the  blonde  hair.  The  hem  of  her  dress,  heavy  and 
wet,  dragged  behind  her;  on  further,  ever  further! 
She  looked  anxiously  to  the  right  and  left,  and  from 
time  to  time  she  called  her  brother's  name  in  the  cool 
morning  air.  Then — steps!  As  if  hunted,  she  flew 
on;  there  lay  the  barred  gate,  one  side  opened.  She 
hurried  through ;  it  was  a  workman,  who,  removing  his 
cap,  walked  past  her,  gazing  at  the  unexpected  appari- 
tion in  astonishment;  then  he  stopped,  she  had  made  a 
gesture  as  if  she  wished  to  say  something,  but  as  she 
was  silent,  the  man  asked: 

"Are  you  looking  for  anything,  miss?" 

"Oh,  no,  no;  I  only  wished  to  take  a  walk  with  my 
brother.      Have  you,  perhaps,  seen  him?" 

"  The  officer  young  gentleman,  do  you  mean?  Yes; 
I  met  him  a  little  ways  behind  the  rag-mill." 

"Thanks!"  she  gasped,  and  took  the  path  to  the  mill. 
She  walked  on  with  the  greatest  haste.  There  the 
dwelling-house  already  shone  through  the  elms;  there 
lay  the  mill  bridge.  On,  on!  They  all  were  surely 
sleeping  in  the  house.  But,  further!  There — merciful 
God! — there  rang  out  a  shot;  it  sounded  so  plainly,  so 


214  -^  Maiden's  Choice. 


fearfully!  Mechanically  seeking  a  support,  she  threw 
her  arm  round  the  nearest  tree,  then  she  slid  to  the 
ground.  She  did  not  see  that  an  old  woman  ran  over 
the  mill  bridge  as  fast  as  her  feet  permitted  her;  how  a 
good,  honest  face,  framed  by  a  white  cap,  bent  over 
her  so  anxiously;  she  did  not  hear  the  cry  for  help 
which  came  from  the  frightened  lips:  "Mercy,  Nelly — 
our  Nelly!     What  has  happened  up  there  again?" 


XII. 

The  dark  curtains  were  drawn  in  the  castle  sitting- 
room,  and  there,  where  usually  the  large,  old-fashioned 
sofa  stood,  was  now  Nelly's  mother's  sick-bed.  She 
had  been  taken  very  ill  on  that  unhappy  morning  when 
she  had  sought  her  son  and  not  found  him;  her  weak 
life  fought  desperately  with  the  dark  angel,  whose  pres- 
ence, announcing  misery,  seemed  to  float  through  the 
room.  Her  thoughts  travelled  in  a  continuous  circle 
about  that  day  when  she  had  stood  beside  the  stiff, 
bloody  corpse  of  her  husband.  Now  it  was  he  whom 
she  saw — now  it  was  her  son — and,  in  heart-rending 
tones,  she  begged  him  not  to  die  also;  not  to  leave 
her;  she  could  not  live  without  him. 

Now  it  was  quiet  in  the  large  room;  a  slender,  girl- 
ish form,  which  listened  timidly  each  time  that  the 
confused,  feverish  talk  came  from  the  lips  of  the 
deathly  ill  woman,  now  glided,  with  almost  noiseless 
steps,  over  the  old  parquet,  smoothed  the  pillows  with 
gentle  hand,  and  bent  over  the  sufferer  to  listen  for  the 
last  breath,  if  she  seemed  to  be  asleep.  This  was 
already  the  tenth  day  which  she  had  spent  watching 
here,  through  long,  dreadful  days  and  still  more  dread- 
ful nights.  To-day  the  fever  had  somewhat  lessened, 
as  the  physician  said ;  and  now  sleep  had  come  for  the 
exhausted,  sick  woman.  The  young  girl  took  a  book 
from   the   table,   and   seated   herself  by  the  window, 


2l6 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


through  whose  curtains  fell  a  narrow  ray  of  light.     The 
invalid's  breath  came  regularly  and  deeply;  there  was 


something  wearying,  lulling,  in  the  twilit  room,  and 
she  was  worn  out  from  night  watching;  but  she  would 
not  sleep,  not  at  any  price;  she  leaned  her  little  head 
back  against  the  chair  cushion,  and  closed  her  eyes. 
But  how  strange  it  was  that  she  now  sat  up  here  in  the 
castle  which  she  had  never  thought  to  enter  again. 
Auntie  had  awakened  her  stormily  one  morning,  and  in 
the  sitting-room  she  found  Nelly,  who  lay  on  the  sofa, 
her  clothes  wet  with  dew,  unconscious.  How  frightened 
she  had  been!  Hours  had  passed  before  they  could 
bring  the  poor  child  back  to  consciousness;  but,  before 
it  had  come  so  far,  then — then  the  door  of  the  sitting- 


m9l(!t^^^v''^^7yf^'?!^T'<>'^''^^'^!'vi'^^^''^^ 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  217 

room  of  her  father's  house  had  opened,  and — he  stood 
upon  the  threshold.  She  could  have  cried  out  in  aston- 
ishment and  fright — yes,  fright,  for  he  had  entered  with 
an  expression  of  the  deepest  misery;  his  eyes  rested 
upon  her  so  entirely  without  expression;  he  was  no 
longer  the  Army  of  former  days,  no  longer  the  gay, 
ambitious  Army,  with  the  proud,  handsome  features. 

"Is  not  my  sister  here?"  he  had  asked  dully;  and 
then,  when  he  discovered  her,  saw  her  lie  there,  pale 
and  unconscious,  something  like  deep  compassion  had 
come  over  his  face. 

What  else  had  happened?  Auntie  and  he  had  whis- 
pered softly  together,  but  for  Lieschen  only  these  words 
had  been  audible — his  mother  was  very  ill,  he  needed 
help.  Sanna  was  so  awkward,  and  grandmamma  com- 
plained of  headache;  and  now  Nelly  also — poor  Nelly! 

"  I  will  go,"  had  Lieschen  then  declared.  And,  near 
him,  she  had  walked,  in  deep  silence,  through  the 
autumnal,  quiet  nature.  He  did  not  say  a  word  to  her 
at  that  time,  and  until  to-day  not  a  word  had  passed 
his  lips,  however  often  he  softly  entered  the  sick-room 
and  drew  back  the  curtains  of  the  bed  to  look  at  his 
mother. 

And  Lieschen  knew  why  he  was  so  gloomy,  so  taci- 
turn. The  sparkling  engagement-ring  was  missing 
from  his  finger,  and  the  sick  woman's  delirium  had 
betrayed  the  unfortunate  event  so  plainly.  Oh,  this 
beautiful,  false  creature!  How  Lieschen  hated  the 
faithless  one!  How  right  Nelly  had  been  at  that  time 
when  she  said,  "  She  does  not  love  him."  But  he — if 
she  could  only  say  a  few  consoling  words  to  him! 

Then  the  door  of  the  sick-room  opened  softly  and 
Nelly  entered.     The  young  girl  still  looked  pale  and 


2i8  A  Maiden's  Choice.  ' 

miserable.  The  excitement  of  that  fearful  hour  when 
she  had  sought  her  brother  with  deadly  fear  had  not 
passed  over  her  without  leaving  its  traces — had  made 
it  impossible  for  her  to  devote  herself  to  the  wearing 
care  of  the  invalid.  Now  a  light  of  hearty  thankfulness 
lay  on  her  face,  as  she,  after  a  glance  at  the  sleeper, 
approached  Lieschen,  who  watched  her  pleasantly. 

"How  nicely  she  is  sleeping!"  whispered  she,  and 
seated  herself  upon  a  stool  at  her  friend's  feet. 
"  Thank  God!  The  physician  thinks  the  danger  is  now 
past.  Ah,  Lieschen,  how  happy  I  am  in  this  hope!  I 
feel  strong  again  now;  and  you  shall  sleep  this  night, 
you  good  heart !  " 

"No,  you  shall,  Nelly;  no  contradiction,"  said 
Lieschen  firmly.  "The  physician  will  not  hear  of 
your  watching,  under  any  consideration.  Afterwards 
you  shall  put  on  a  shawl,  and  go  out  in  the  open  air  for 
a  little.  Your  brother  will  surely  like  to  accompany 
you." 

Nelly  shook  her  head  sadly.  "  Oh,  yes,  he  will 
come  with  me;  but,  Lieschen,  you  do  not  know  how 
terrible  it  is  to  be  alone  with  him!  He  walks  gloomily 
beside  me,  and  then  suddenly  he  begins  to  whistle 
gayly ;  and  if  I  look  at  him,  questioningly  and  in  aston- 
ishment, he  says,  'It  is  gallows  humor,  little  one;  do 
not  notice  it!'  Recently  he  told  me  that  he  should 
leave  as  soon  as  mamma  was  a  little  better;  he  could 
not  endure  this  solitude. " 

"  Cannot  your  grandmamma  calm  and  console  him, 
then?"  asked  Lieschen. 

"  Grandmamma  ?"  The  young  girl's  lips  trembled  with 
anger.  "  She  is  angry  with  Army,  with  mamma,  and 
me;  with  God,  and  the  whole  world.     She  locks  herself 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  219 

into  her  room,  and  when  she  has  inquired,  through 
Sanna,  pro  forma^  how  we  are,  she  thinks  she  has  done 
enough.  If  it  were  not  for  you  and  Auntie,  and  if 
your  good  mother  did  not  care  for  us,  things  would 
look  badly  up  here." 

"  Nelly!  "  whispered  the  young  girl,  blushing,  and 
laid  her  hand  on  her  friend's  mouth. 

The  old  baroness  sat  moodily  in  her  room.  "  It  must 
come  some  time,"  said  she,  half  aloud.  "  I  must  speak 
with  him;  what  is  to  be  done  now?"  She  rose,  and 
rang  the  bell.  "  I  request  my  grandson  to  come  to  me," 
she  commanded  the  entering  Sanna,  shortly  and  un- 
pleasantly, and  took  her  se^t  again. 

Through  the  red  curtains  only  a  half  light  stole  into 
the  room,  for  outside  the  sky  was  overcast,  and  a  sharp 
autumn  wind  had  begun  to  forcibly  strip  the  leaves 
from  the  trees;  in  the  fireplace  a  wood  fire  flamed,  and 
threw  bright  rays  upon  the  red  upholstering  and  hang- 
ings; the  faded  colors  shone  in  almost  their  former  crim- 
son splendor  when  such  a  flickering  light  fell  upon  them. 
The  baroness  gazed  gloomily  into  the  quivering  flames. 

"  Come  in !"  cried  she,  as  a  hasty  knock  was  heard  at 
the  door. 

"  I  was  about  to  request  a  short  interview,  grand- 
mamma," began  Army,  entering,  after  a  bow,  and  stood 
behind  the  chair  to  which  the  old  lady  motioned  him 
with  a  wave  of  her  hand.  "  Mamma  is  better.  As 
soon  as  she  has  had  her  first  conscious  moment,  and 
seen  me  and  recognized  me,  I  will  leave;  until  then  I 
wait,  -so  that  she  may  give  up  the  unfortunate  fancy 
that  I  have  taken  my  life."  During  these  words  he 
looked  as  indifferent  as  if  he  spoke  of  a  stranger. 


2  20  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


The  old  lady  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "  It  is  wholly 
your  mother's  manner  of  making  every  evil  worse  by 
her  nervousness — ridiculous  ideas — and  the  girl  con- 
firms her  in  them." 

"  I  think  when  one  has  once  had  such  a  sad  experi- 
ence," said  he,  with  sharp  emphasis,  "it  is  easily  par- 
doned if,  in  such  moments,  fear  of  a  repetition  over- 
powers a  delicate  woman;  and  as  for  nervousness,  it  is 
no  wonder — the  life  which  she  has  led  up  to  this  time 
would  have  brought  even  stronger  natures  as  far.  I 
look  upon  it  as  a  reproof,"  he  continued,  "that  she  be- 
came ill  on  my  account.  Could  I  have  suspected  that 
her  mother's  heart  would  drive  her  to  me  so  early,  I 
would  not  have  gone  out  t^  master  my  painful  thoughts 
in  the  open  air." 

"Sentimental  ideas  and  no  end!  "  remarked  the  old 
baroness  irritably.  "You  are  just  so;  you  are  all  the 
same,  you  Germans.  You  look  at  the  moon,  and  sigh 
and  worry  yourselves  more  than  such  an  affair  is  finally 
worth.  But,  to  business!  Can  you  remain  in  the 
service  ? " 

He  looked  gloomily  at  the  floor.  "  I  do  not  know," 
said  he;  "at  present  it  depends  upon  the  mood  of  my 
creditors.  Truly,  as  soon  as  the  news  of  my  broken 
engagement  is  spread,  they  will  rush  upon  me  like  a 
pack  of  hunting  dogs.  The  affair  will  come  up  before 
the  regiment;  the  colonel  will  say,  'Pay  or  not?'  and 

then "     He  turned  round  with  a  hasty  gesture,  as 

if  he  longed  to  end  the  conversation. 

The  old  lady  listened  to  him  as  calmly  as  if  he  spoke 
of  a  pleasure  party. 

"Hellwig  must  advise  us,"  said  she,  resolved. 

"Hellwig?     Yes;  if  he  could  procure  money!     Only 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


221 


recently  he  confessed  the  impossibility  of  getting  me 
two  hundred  dollars,  a  sum  which  I  must  pay  the 
carriage-maker  at  a  fixed  date." 

The  dainty  little  landau  which  had  arrived  one  day 
from  the  capital  soon  after  Blanche  had  declared  that 
she  did  not  like  to  walk  rose  before  the 
eyes  of  the  baroness.     "Well,  and " 

"The  man  would  wait  until  I — well, 
until  the  end  of  October,"  concluded  he 
shortly.    "  Oh,  they  all  would  wait ;  there 
was    no    hurry    at 
all — no  indeed!    I 
was     Aunt    Ston- 
theim's      nephew, 
and  about  to  marry 
her  niece " 

"  To  how  much 
do  all  your  debts 


amount  ? "     asked 
the  grandmother. 

He  made  a  ges- 
ture of  distaste. 
"Why that?  They 
cannot  be  paid!  " 

A  long  pause 
ensued.  Army  gazed  at  one  of  the  Italian  landscapes 
in  the  gilt  frames  with  apparent  interest.  Without, 
the  wind  had  risen  to  violence;  it  howled  through  the 
chimney,  and  blew  sparks  out  upon  the  faded  carpet  and 
the  black  woollen  dress  of  the  old  lady. 

"  Army,  there  is  but  one  way  of  saving  yourself  and  us. " 

He  turned  slowly  round,  and  looked  at  her  interroga- 
tively. 


222  A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


"  It  sounds  strangely,  perhaps,  but  in  necessity  the 
drowning  man  clutches  at  a  straw.  I  mean,  you  must 
try,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  make  another  rich  marriage." 

"How,  grandmamma?"  he  asked. 

"  There  are  enough  girls — wealthy,  pretty  girls — who 
will  buy  a  husband,  as  they  say " 

"Ah,  indeed!     I  understand,"  replied  he  carelessly. 

"  Consider,  Army !  It  is  not  a  question  of  your  exist- 
ence alone;  it  is  a  question  of  us  all." 

"  Have  you  anything  else  to  tell  me  ? "  he  asked,  in  a 
tone  which  silenced  the  old  lady.  "Nothing?  Then 
permit  me  to  take  my  leave.  I  should  like  to  see  how 
things  are  downstairs."     He  bowed  and  went. 

Quite  mechanically,  he  directed  his  steps  toward  the 
sick-room.  He  remained  standing  in  the  anie-room;  it 
seemed  to  him  that  he  heard  whispering  within;  then 
he  walked  to  the  window,  and  pressed  his  forehead 
against  the  panes. 

What  his  grandmother  had  just  said  to  him  fell  like 
scorching  drops  upon  the  fresh  wound;  the  pain  drove 
the  blood  to  his  cheeks.  Before  his  eyes  perpetually 
floated  an  alluring,  seductive  picture,  which  would  not 
leave  him,  although  he  tried  a  thousand  times  to  banish 
it.  He  saw  her  again  as  she  had  appeared  to  him  on 
the  day  after  the  opening  of  the  will,  when  all  was  so 
quiet,  so  lonely,  in  the  splendid  villa.  The  crowd  of 
callers  had  gone,  the  Colonel  was  dozing  after  his  din- 
ner, in  the  adjoining  room,  and  he  was  alone  with  her — 
for  the  first  time  in  a  long  while.  How  beautiful  she 
was  in  the  deep  black  mourning  dress,  trimmed  with 
crape,  the  golden  flood  of  her  hair  held  back  by  black 
bands!  She  lay  there  dreamily  in  the  chair,  while  he 
spoke  to  her  of  his  love,  of  his  longing  to  possess  her, 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  223 

of  all  the  rapture  which  filled  his  heart.  But  did  she 
hear  him  at  all  ?  The  glance  which  she  gave  him  when 
he  took  her  hand  had  gone  to  his  heart  like  cold  steel, 
had  conjured  up  the  first  frightful  suspicion  in  him.  In 
the  course  of  the  conversation,  she  had  suddenly  risen 
and  gone  out,  stammering  a  trifling  excuse.  He  saw  her 
disappear  behind  the  portieres;  her  wonderful  hair  shone 
once  more  as  the  curtain  rose  and  fell  in  the  draught 
from  the  opened  door;  then  he  was  alone  with  his  over- 
flowing, sad  heart. 

She  had  never  loved  him,  she  sent  him  word;  she  had 
only  engaged  herself  to  him  at  her  aunt's  wish.  And 
yet  those  yellow  falling  leaves  in  the  linden  alley  out 
there  had  heard  her  swear  fidelity  to  him;  how  she 
assured  him  a  thousand  times  that  she  loved  him — loved 
him  more  than  everything  else  in  the  world;  had  seen 
her  in  his  arms,  and  counted  her  kisses  in  that  warm, 
sultry  summer  night;  and  now — now  it  had  gone  so  far 
that  no  outlet  remained  for  him  but  to  sell  himself,  as 
grandmamma  advised  him — no;  rather  a  ball — a  ball! 
He  thought  of  his  mother.  No,  it  would  be  a  sin 
against  her!  He  now  understood,  for  the  first  time, 
what  she  had  suffered,  what  nameless  grief  had  saddened 
her  life.  His  father  shot  himself — why?  What  had 
Blanche  said  ?  Because  he  grew  melancholy  in  the  des- 
olate home!  For  that?  Scarcely  credible;  perhaps 
the  bankrupt  condition  of  his  estate  ?  That  was  more 
probable — and  still  it  is  always  cowardly  to  go  out  of 
the  world  and  leave  wife  and  children  unprotected. 

In  truth,  he — his  mother,  his  little  sister,  who  had 
almost  died  with  terror  about  him — he  could  not,  he 
dare  not,  leave  them,  even  if  he  did  not  understand  in 
what  manner  he  could  be  their  support.     Grandmamma, 


234  ^  Maiden's  Choice. 


indeed,  was  not  at  all  embarrassed  as  to  the  way  of  res- 
cue; and,  from  his  officer  life,  he  knew  that  many  a  one 
had  saved  himself  in  the  last  moment  by  such  means. 
He  knew  many  comrades  whom  a  wealthy  marriage  had 
preserved  from  the  most  desperate  situations,  but  it 
always  made  a  sad  impression  upon  him. 

He  shuddered.  What  awaited  him?  They  would 
fall  upon  him  like  a  pack  of  wild  beasts,  he  had  told 
his  grandmother  previously;  it  was  only  too  certain,  he 
had  lived  foolishly  of  late!  A  bitter  smile  came  to  hi^ 
face;  the  thought  of  his  celebration  of  his  betrothal 
among  his  comrades — the  champagne  had  flowed  in 
streams  to  all  the  hurrahs  and  enthusiastic  toasts  to 
the  beautiful  bride.  What  could  he  do  when  a  little 
game  was  arranged?  They  were  his  guests,  these 
gambling  gentlemen — he  could  not  draw  back.  He 
lost,  and  lost.  "  Fortune  in  love!"  some  one  had  called 
to  him.  That  had  been  like  fire  to  his  already  heated 
blood.  He  played  on,  as  if  it  were  necessary  to  test 
the  truth  of  the  old  proverb,  and  lost — yes,  he  lost 
much  and  gladly  on  that  evening,  but  what  did  that 
signify  in  comparison  with  the  beautiful  winnings  which 
had  fallen  to  him? 

He  groaned,  and  clinched  his  teeth.  Where  was  the 
happiness  in  which  he  had  so  proudly  believed?  The 
old  proverb  occurred  to  him :  "  Trust  God  for  aye !  Luck 
comes  each  day!"  Laughable,  how  quickly  it  had 
left  him! 

Then  a  light  step  was  heard  behind  him.  He  turned; 
a  face  covered  with  blushes  looked  at  him.  "Your 
mother  is  asking  for  you,  lieutenant,"  said  a  clear 
voice  softly.  He  walked  past  Lieschen  into  the  sick- 
room, and  she  went  to  the  window,  where  he  had  stood 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


225 


until  then.  Outdoors  a  fine  rain  was  falling,  and 
wrapped  the  country  in  a  damp  veil;  she  looked  down 
at  her  parents'  house,  but  she  could  not  perceive  it  in 
the  vaporous  atmosphere.  "  What  are  they  doing  down 
there  now — my  mother,  father,  and  Auntie  ?  Father  is 
probably  hunting?  Oh,  no,  he  has  so  much  work  to 
do  in  the  office  since  Mr.  Selldorf  left  so  suddenly." 
Again  a  deep  flush  rose  to  her  cheeks. 

At  first  it  had  been  quiet  near  by ;  the  door  was  ajar. 
Army  probably  knelt  at  the  bed  of  his  sick  mother,  and 
now  his  voice  was  heard.  "  My  dear,  good  little 
mamma,  you  thought  I  would  do  as  Baron  von  Streit- 


witz?     Oh,   no,   no;  I  still  have  you  and  Nelly."     It 
sounded  so  gentle,   so  consoling,   and  still  as  if  sup- 
pressed tears  made  the  words  indistinct.     And  then  the 
15 


2  26  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

mother's  weak  voice:  Lieschen  could  not  understand 
the  words,  but  in  the  tone  of  the  disconnected  sounds 
was  a  sweet  comforting,  a  happy  thanks  that  she  held 
her  son  in  her  arms,  the  whole,  boundless  fulness  of 
mother  love,  which  would  help,  support,  advise;  so 
calming,  so  appeasing,  as  if  a  sick  child  were  to  be 
lulled  to  sleep. 

And  then,  all  at  once — was  it  really  possible?  That 
sounded    like    weeping,    powerfully    suppressed    sobs. 

Was  Army ?    The  young  girl  suddenly  turned,  and 

listened,  with  paling  face.  Do  men  cry  also?  She 
hurried  to  the  door;  she  wished  to  flee;  he  must  not 
know  that  she  had  heard  him.  Then  he  came  out  of 
his  mother's  room,  his  face  grave,  and  his  lips  pressed 
together,  but  his  eyes — yes,  they  were  still  moist  with 
the  tears  which  he  had  shed — for  his  lost  bride. 

She  stood  close  before  him,  her  hands  folded  over 
her  breast,  as  if  she  would  beg  forgiveness  for  having 
seen  him.  He  stopped,  he  glanced  at  her,  and  read  the 
tender  pity  in  her  eyes.  Did  the  recollection  of  the 
times  when  the  little  girl  had  so  often  charmingly 
consoled  the  wild  boy,  when,  in  childish  play,  he  lost 
patience,  and  in  his  defiant,  boyish  rage  had  shed  hot 
tears,  come  back  to  him?  "Lieschen,"  said  he  gently 
and  thankfully,  and  gave  her  his  hand.  "Army,  dear 
Army,"  came  the  answer  back,  half  suffocated  by  sobs. 
For  a  moment  he  felt  a  little  hand  in  his,  then  sh^  was 
gone. 


XIII. 

The  monotonous,  quiet  life  had  returned  again  to 
Castle  Derenberg;  still  more  quiet,  even,  than  formerly, 
for  care,  which  had  already  begun  to  flee  before  the 
rosy  beams  of  a  beginning  happiness,  was  more  faithful 
than  that,  and  had  returned  with  double  gloom.  Its 
mysterious  nearness  made  the  old  rooms  an  oppressive 
residence,  and  the  hearts  of  the  solitary  women  beat 
more  and  more  apprehensively. 

Army  had  gone,  and  the  mother  had  long  gazed  after 
her  darling's  tall  form,  from  whose  face  the  harsh 
disappointment  of  his  love  had  frightened  away  all  hap- 
piness. There  was  now  something  so  indifferent,  apa- 
thetic, in  his  manner,  which  made  her  bitterly  anxious 
about  him.  Would  he  not,  in  order  to  forget,  find 
pleasure  in  a  wild,  dissolute  life?  "  God  protect  him!" 
she  prayed,  and  pressed  her  hands  to  her  breast  in 
nameless  anxiety.  And  when  she  was  thus  sunk  in  her 
misery,  the  other  cares  came  after  this  grief  in  a  long 
row.  How  would  it  be  if  his  debts  were  not  paid? 
How  if  Hellwig's  exertions  had  no  result?  If  the  old 
man  did  not  succeed  in  finding  assistance,  an  outlet? 
He  had  looked  so  doubtful,  had  shrugged  his  shoulders 
so  uneasily  when  the  old  baroness  had  cried  out  to  him, 
half  imperiously,  half  pleadingly,  "You  must.  Hell- 
wig — you  must!    Only  get  money  for  a  short  time,  only 


230    ,  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

so  that  ruin  does  not  burst  over  my  grandson!  The 
rest  will  be  arranged  afterwards;  with  time  comes  ad- 
vice." And  the  old  man  had  promised,  with  a  heavy 
heart,  to  try  "to  help  that  unfortunate  fellow,  Army, 
out  of  his  difficulty,"  and  at  the  same  time  had  inquired 
how,  then,  the  baroness  thought  to  arrange  the  "  after- 
wards." And  as  she  had  then,  in  her  nervous  manner, 
given  the  faithful  representative  of  her  family  some 
hints  by  which  she  hoped  to  find  a  rescue,  he  had 
smiled  almost  sadly,  and  a  questioning,  "  The  danger- 
ous experiment  for  the  second  time  ? "  had  come  from 
his  lips,  "God  grant,"  he  added,  "that  it  turns  out 
better  this  time.  Besides,  baroness,  it  is  no  longer  so 
easy  to-day  as  you  think.  The  world  has  become  un- 
pleasantly practical  of  late.  Fathers  who  will  receive 
such  a  noble  young  wild  oats  with  open  arms,  and  count 
it  an  honor  to  pay  his  colossal  debts,  grow  more  and 
more  scarce.  Money  is  tight,  baroness — very  tight;  but 
who  advised The  devil!  the  foolishness  of  purchas- 
ing equipages  and  silken  furniture  for  the  mademoiselle 
fiancee  ?  That  was  far  too  premature.  One  should  not 
sell  the  bear  skin  before  one  is  sure  of  the  bear.  You, 
baroness,  who  have  experienced  so  much  in  this  life, 
should  have  taken  the  boy  by  the  ear  and  taught  him 
mores;  he  has  been  far  too  easily  led." 

The  eyes  of  the  younger  baroness  had  rested  reproach- 
fully on  her  mother-in-law — those  anxious,  pleading 
eyes  in  the  pale,  grief-stricken  face,  which,  scarcely 
recovered  from  illness,  seemed  doubly  small  and  trans- 
parent; but  they  had  so  far  influenced  the  old  man  that 
he  at  least  promised  to  do  his  best;  and  then,  when 
the  mother-in-law  had  gone,  he  spoke  a  few  hearty 
words  of  comfort  to  the  pale  woman,  who  had  been 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


i^i 


unhappy  from  her  childhood,  and  whose  quiet,  suffering 
manner  had  so  wholly  won  his  heart. 

Lieschen  had  long  ago  returned  to  her  home,  accom- 


panied by  the  tenderest  thanks  of  Nelly  and  her  mother. 
No  pleasant  words,  no  thankful  glance,  had  come  to  her 
from  the  old  lady ;  her  whole  surroundings  did  penance 
for  the  misfortune  which  had  come  to  the  house. 
Even  Sanna  did  not  venture  to  open  her  mouth  unques- 
tioned. Lieschen  scarcely  noticed  that  no  thanks  had 
come  to  her  from  this  side  for  the  wearing  exertions  of 
the  sick-bed.  She  was  too  happy  that  she  had  been 
able  to  do  something  for  Nelly's  mother,  whom  she  had 


232  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


always  loved  so  dearly,  so  honored.  Now  she  came 
almost  daily  to  the  castle,  and  her  happy  chat,  her 
bright,  pleasant  looks,  brought  a  sunbeam  for  an  hour 
into  the  quiet,  lofty  rooms;  and  then  Nelly  forgot  for 
a  short  time  her  sadness,  only  to  be  doubly  miserable 
afterwards. 

"  How  happy  she  is!"  thought  she,  as  her  friend's 
slender  figure  hurried  home  so  lightly  through  the  lin- 
den walk,  whose  trees  were  now  leafless.  She  pictured 
Lieschen's  comfortable  home — how  she  put  her  arm 
round  the  stately  master  of  the  house,  and  called  him 
her  dear  father,  of  whom  she  could  be  so  proud — so 
proud — and  then  Nelly's  eyes  overflowed  with  bitter 
misery. 

So  November  had  come,  with  its  gloomy  weather; 
the  storms  again  howled  round  the  old  castle,  as  they 
had  done  for  centuries  already ;  the  heavy,  damp  clouds 
hung  over  the  landscape,  and  rain,  intermingled  with 
snow,  beat  against  the  window-panes.  Such  weather 
influences  human  hearts,  and  especially  a  sick  one, 
which  so  much  needs  enlivenment,  and  involuntarily 
the  question  came  to  her  lips,  "Will  the  sun  ever 
shine  again?  Will  the  storms  ever  cease?"  Well  for 
the  human  heart  that  this  hope  is  given  it  even  in  the 
days  of  the  greatest  pain!  It  whispers  consoling  words 
to  the  despairing  heart,  and  paints  brilliant  arabesques 
upon  the  stormy  heavens,  and  charming,  flowery  figures, 
between  which  all  sorts  of  happy,  ardently  desired 
future  images  look  forth;  and  the  tearful  eyes  may 
then  look  up  more  confidently,  and  the  timid  breast 
breathes  anew.     All  may  yet  be  well! 

And  time  passed — monotonously,  slowly,  and  the 
days  passed  like  lead.     Each  week  a  letter  came  from 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  233 

the  absent  son,  which  the  mother  opened  with  secret 
fear  and  heart-beats.  Each  time  she  thought  to  read 
something  dreadful!  Nelly  greeted  it  with  a  slight 
smile,  which  vanished  behind  tears  when  she  saw  the 
short,  superficial  lines.  "  Do  you  not  see,  mamma,  how 
unhappy  he  is — so  crushed,  so  different  from  formerly  ?  " 
She  sighed,  and  read  the  letter  again  and  again,  behind 
whose  brevity  a  deeply  crushed  nature  seemed  to  hide. 

"He  is  well,"  the  old  baroness  used  to  say,  scorn- 
fully; "he  hopes  that  we  are  also;  he  is  very  busy — 
voild.  tout!  He  is  no  man,  or  else  he  would  stake  every- 
thing, so  that  affairs  should  not  go  to  extremes.  Heav- 
ens! were  I  in  his  place,  life  before  me,  and  so  young! 
Oh,  this  unhappy  German  sentimentality,  which,  from 
mere  pain  about  something  lost,  cannot  find  the  cour- 
age to  struggle  for  a  new  happiness.  Orribile!  It  is 
the  misfortune  of  us  all.  I  would  never  have  thought 
that  he  could  be  so  also!  " 

And,  trembling  with  excitement,  the  old  lady  sat 
down  and  wrote  a  letter  to  her  grandson  to  encourage 
him;  and  another  to  Hellwig  to  spur  him  on  to 
arrange  the  debts  as  soon  as  possible. 

November  passed  and  December  came,  with  its 
storms.  They  whistled  round  the  tall  chimneys,  and 
turned  the  rusty  weather-vanes  creaking  on  the  towers; 
they  bent  and  shook  the  old  trees  of  the  forest.  The 
rain  beat  as  formerly  against  the  windows,  and  softened 
the  park  roads,  until,  in  one  sparkling,  starry  night, 
winter  came  with  its  frost  and  froze  the  roads  as 
smooth  and  hard  as  a  turnpike;  it  covered  the  pond 
with  a  mirror-clear  crust  of  ice,  and  spread  the  first 
fine-fiaked  snow  over  road  and  path. 

"Now  it  will  soon  be  Christmas,"  the  village  people 


^34  -^  Maiden'' s  Choice. 


said,  and  were  happy.  "  Now  it  will  soon  be  Christmas, 
mamma,"  said  Nelly  also,  to  the  pale  woman  who  sat 
by  the  fireplace  and  knitted;  but  scarcely  any  lovely 
anticipation  of  the  beautiful  festival  shone  in  her 
face.  "Will  Army  come?"  she  added,  questioningly, 
and  throwing  her  arm  round  her  mother's  neck,  she 
begged :  Dear  mamma,  I  do  not  want  any  presents,  if 
only  Army  comes." 

"  Now  it  will  soon  be  Christmas,"  said  Lieschen  joy- 
fully to  Auntie,  as  she  saw  the  brilliant  snow  covering 
in  the  morning.  It  sounded  so  heartily  glad  that  the 
old  woman  glanced  at  her  face  almost  surprised.  Was 
not  the  girl  wholly  changed  since  the  last  weeks?  The 
old  teazing  gayety  which  became  her  so  charmingly 
again  shone  so  winningly  from  the  large  blue  eyes;  her 
cheeks  bloomed  as  rosily  as  formerly,  and  all  this  since 
she — yes,  since  she  had  returned  home  from  the  castle. 
The  old  woman  had  secretly  felt  so  much  anxiety  about 
her  darling;  thought  she  would  return  pale  and  weary; 
but  no,  the  air  of  the  sick-room  seemed  to  have  done 
her  as  much  good  as  a  trip  to  a  watering-place  would 
have  done  another.  At  first  she  had  shaken  her  head 
at  the  wonder;  but  then  the  thought  had  come  to  the 
old  woman  with  the  overflowing,  tender  heart,  "What 
if  the  broken  engagement  is  the  cause  of  this  change  ? " 
And,  in  true  womanly  manner,  she  had  not  missed  an 
opportunity  of  bringing  the  conversation  to  that  un- 
happy fact,  and  thereby  watched  the  young  girl  sharply. 
But,  however  attentively  the  good,  faithful  eyes  of  the 
old  woman  watched,  they  could  discern  nothing  partic? 
ular.  Lieschen  pitied  with  all  her  heart  the  deceived 
man,  and  joined  in  animatedly  when  Auntie  blamed  the 
faithless  bride ;  even  discussed  with  her  whether  it  might 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


235 


yet  be  possible  that  she  might  perceive  her  injustice. 
But  no  blushing  or  paling,  or  even  weeping,  as  for- 
merly; her  mood  remained  unchangeably  good;  and 
finally  the  old  woman  concluded  that  Liesel  had  en- 
tirely conquered  her  fancied  inclination,  and,  at  sight 
of  the  grief  in  the  castle,  had  decided  that  she  was 
really  very  happy,  and  had  every  reason  to  look  hap- 
pily upon  life.     And  so  she  rejoiced  when  she  heard 


the  girl's  light  step  and  the  clear  voice  sung  those  old 
songs  of  her  childhood  at  her  work;  or  when  she,  as 
formerly,  joked  with  her  father,  and  played  all  kinds 
of  roguish  pranks,  which  made  even  the  mother  laugh 
heartily. 

And  now  Christmas  was  coming,  as  she  so  joyously 
informed  Auntie ;  and  as  the  old  woman  looked  at  her 
the  little  mouth  whispered  close  to  her  ear,  and  she 


236  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


heard  something  about  **  Christ-child,  Christmas  tree, 
Christmas  work,  and  something  so  lovely,  pretty,  fof 
Auntie,  such  as  she  could  not  imagine!  " 

And  all  this  rejoicing,  this  happiness,  a  single 
moment,  the  single  word  "Lieschen,"  spoken  softly, 
a  single  hasty  hand-shake,  had  caused! 

The  short  winter  days  passed  very  quickly;  in 
Lieschen's  room  lay  a  gay  confusion  of  balls  of  worsted, 
ribbons,  and  embroidery.  The  door  was  locked  each 
time  that  she  went  downstairs,  and  the  key  hidden  in 
her  pocket ;  and  down  in  the  sitting-room  the  mistress 
of  the  house  stood  before  a  table  and  cut  out  little 
coats  and  jackets  for  the  workmen's  children.  Those 
who  were  god-children  of  the  father,  the  mother, 
Auntie,  or  Lieschen  received  a  shining  dollar  besides 
in  the  lead  savings-boxes  which  stood  in  a  row  in  the 
sitting-room  closet,  each  with  the  name  of  the  little 
owner  upon  it. 

The  parents  had  already  been  in  the  city  to  do  their 
Christmas  shopping.  Lieschen  had  placed  a  long  list 
of  wishes  in  her  mother's  hands,  and  at  evening,  when 
they  returned,  Dorte's  and  Minnie's  strong  arms  could 
scarcely  carry  all  tlje  mysterious  packages  which  the 
father  handed  out,  one  after  another,  from  the  carriage. 
And  then  there  were  questions,  inspection,  and  admira- 
tion in  the  sitting-room,  where  the  lamp  stood  on  the 
round  table,  and  hot  tea  steamed  for  the  home-comers. 
"  Here,  papa,  are  your  slippers.  Is  not  my  dear  little 
mother  frozen?  That  is  for  the  pastor's  wife,  and 
these  for  the  children.  Does  it  please  you,  Lie- 
schen?" 

"Oh,  the  lovely  dolls,  and  the  soldiers — could  not 


A  Maiden' s  Choice. 


237 


one  play  with  them  one's-self?     And  the  dresses  for 
Dorte  and  Minnie;,  and  a  coat  for  each  of  them." 

"They  may  laugh!  "  said  Auntie,  and  felt   the  fine 
woollen  cloth.    "When  I  celebrated  my  first  Christmas 


here,  as  maid,  there  was  cotton  for  one  apron  and  a  dol- 
lar given,  and  I  felt  like  a  queen  that  evening.  You 
spoil  the  people,  Minna;  it  is  dreadful!  " 

"Ah,  Auntie,  do  not  scold,"  begged  Lieschen;  "wait 
till  you  see  what  the  Christ-child  brings  you.  Listen; 
it  is  so  high,  and  has  four  legs,  and  yet  cannot  run; 
guess " 

"That  is  all  very  well,"  grumbled  the  old  woman, 
good-naturedly,  and  helped  carry  the  packages  into  the 
adjoining  room,  where  they  were  to  stay  until  the  pres- 
entation. "Who  knows  what  you  will  receive?"  she 
continued.  "But  don't  you  look  into  my  room,  now, 
do  you  hear?"  said  she,  "or  else " 

"No,  you  dear  Auntie;  but  there  is  something  pretty 
for  me  in  there,  is  there  not?     It  seems  to  me  that  I 


238  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


am  going  to  receive  something  unusually  nice  this 
Christmas." 

"Oh,  really,"  laughed  the  old  woman;  "it  is  some- 
thing unusual ;  for  example " 

"An  apple,"  Lieschen  interrupted  her,  "with  three 
wishes  from  a  good  fairy,  whose  real  name  is  Auntie." 

"Naturally!  And  then  three  silk  dresses  will  be 
conjured  from  it,  and  with  those  you  will  go  in  the 
kitchen  and  hen-house,  and  Peter  or  fat  Gottlieb  can 
carry  your  train  ?  " 

"And  then — then  comes  a  prince,  Auntie!  " 

"  There  we  have  it!"  cried  the  old  woman,  with  comic 
fright.  "It  all  hangs  upon  that;  you  should  have 
written  a  bridegroom  upon  your  list  of  wishes,  you 
foolish  thing!  " 

"But  it  must  be  a  prince.  Auntie,"  cried  the  girl, 
laughing,  and  sang  as  she  ran  out: 

"  There  came  then  a  prince  o'er  the  waters  so  wide, 
And  he  is  the  king,  and  I  am  the  bride!" 

"It  is  possible,"  said  the  old  woman,  and  shook  her 
head. 

And  at  length  the  holy  evening  came  for  all  the 
world.  It  shed  a  reflection  of  the  heavenly  radiance 
upon  each  house;  it  lit  the  candles  on  the  green  trees 
in  palace  and  hut,  and  their  light  fell  upon  happy 
faces,  upon  costly  and  modest  gifts.  The  church  bells 
rang  out  in  the  quiet,  cold  winter  air,  and  invited  peo- 
ple to  a  service  of  thanks;  and  high  above  the  happy 
world  the  heaven  spread  out  its  dark-blue  mantle;  the 
stars  shone  down  in  sparkling,  shining  splendor,  and 
"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good 
will  towards  men,"  echoed  back  to  them. 


\ 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


239 


Peace  on  earth!  There  were  human  homes  into 
which  the  mild  guest  found  no  entrance,  in  which  there 
was  no  festive  joy,  owing  to  grief  and  deep  misery — 
ah,  very  many!  And  on  no  single  day  does  a  poor  child 
of  man  feel  more  deeply  its  care,  and  its  great  grief, 
than  on  that  one  when  all  rejoice,  when  peace  sinks 
into  all  hearts,  only  not  into  his;  when  the  question 
occurs,  Why  am  I — why 
are  we  only  excluded 
from  the  joy  ? 

The  same  silent  ques- 
tion seemed  to  speak 
from  the  eyes  of  the 
young  girl  who  stood  at 
the  window  and  gazed 
out  into  the  starry  night. 
"  Down  there  in  the  mill 
the  windows  shine  with 
bright  light,  there  the 
Christmas  tree  burns," 
whispered  she,  and  with 
hot,  childish  pain,  press- 
ed her  hands  against 
her  breast.  What  a 
longing  overcame  her 
for  its  brilliant,  light- 
adorned  branches!  To 
be  sure,  Lieschen  had 
begged  her  to  come ;  she 
should  at  least  see  the  lights  burn  on  the  tree — ^but 
no,  why  should  she?  What  did  the  miller's  Christmas 
tree  matter  to  her  ?  It  was  not  hers,  and  why  should 
she    look    in    Lieschen's    happy    face?      Her    quiet, 


240  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


gloomy  home  would  seem  still  sadder  after  such 
a  sight.  She  turned  and  went  up  to  her  mother's 
chair,  to  lean  her  cheek  against  the  dear  face.  She 
groped  for  it  with  her  hand,  and  felt  only  the  empty 
cushion.  "  Mamma!  "  cried  she  softly;  all  was  silence. 
"  She  has  gone  upstairs  to  grandmamma  also, "  whispered 
she,  and  sunk  into  the  soft  chair.  "They  all  leave  me 
alone;  if  they  would  only  come  back!  Mamma  and 
Army — ah,  yes,  Army  is  there."  This  was  certainly  a 
sweet  consolation.  To-morrow  he  surely  would  not 
have  so  much  business  to  discuss  with  grandmamma. 
What  could  it  be  so  important  that  they  had  talked 
about  ever  since  his  arrival?     Still  Blanche? 

"At  New  Year's — scarcely  eight  days  off,"  said  the 
old  lady  dully,  and  looked  gloomily  before  her. 

"At  New  Year's,"  assented  Army,  who  stood  before 
her. 

"And  you  say  Hellwig  has  no  advice?" 

"So  he  told  me." 

^^  BMt,  dio  mio  /  Formerly  it  was  not  so  hard  for 
an  officer  to  get  money." 

"  Formerly  ?  You  forget,  grandmamma,  that  our 
circumstances  are  widely  known.  No  one  is  so  stupid 
as  to  lend  me  money  with  the  positive  certainty  of 
losing  it,  and  especially  such  a  sum.     The  only  thing 

that  I  could  obtain  was  postponement  until  the  new 

>»  * 

year. 

"  And  have  you  not  once  tried  to  take  the  path  which 
I  recommended  to  you  as  the  only  means  of  rescue  ?" 

He  glanced  at  her  defiantly.  "No,"  replied  he 
firmly.  "  My  creditors  indeed  advised  me  to  do  so,  and 
would  be  of  assistance  to  me;  but  a  thousand  times 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  241 

rather  go  to  America,  and  work  like  a  slave,  than  such 
a  yoke! " 

"  As  you  will !  "  said  the  old  lady  dryly.  "  It  is  your 
affair,  not  mine." 

"  Quite  right,"  he  laughed.  "  But,  to  the  devil  with 
the  story!  I  did  not  come  here  to  complain  to  you. 
I  am  to  celebrate  Christmas  with  you — Christmas!  "  he 
repeated  mockingly. 

Then  there  was  silence.  A  year  before  he  had  stood 
at  this  hour  in  the  Countess  Stontheim's  drawing-room; 
the  innumerable  candles  of  the  tall  Christmas  tree  shed 
a  dazzling  light  upon  the  gold-worked  carpet  and  costly 
furniture.  It  was  reflected  by  splendid  presents.  But 
what  was  all  this  to  the  splendor  which  rose  above  the 
white  girlish  forehead  and  clung  round  the  dainty  figure 
like  a  costly  veil — it  was  all  so  plain  before  his  eyes. 

"  Good,  then !"  said  his  grandmother's  voice.  "  Then 
I  will  try  if  I  can  obtain  assistance.  There  are  yet 
people  in  the  world  who  have  not  forgotten  the  name 
Derenberg.  To-morrow — no,  to-day — I  shall  write  to 
the  Duke  of  R ." 

The  young  man's  lips  wore  a  bitter  expression.  He 
thought  of  the  picture  upstairs  in  the  ancestral  hall, 
which  represented  his  grandmother  as  a  young,  beauti- 
ful hostess,  bidding  the  duke  welcome  to  her  hospi- 
table home.  "  Beggary!  "  he  thought  scornfully.  He 
passed  his  hand  over  his  face,  and  glanced  over  at  the 
tall  black  figure  which  stood  so  motionless  before  the 
table  with  an  expression  of  firmest  resolve.  She 
pained  him,  the  proud  woman.  He  knew  it  would  be 
indescribably  hard  for  her  to  write  such  a  letter. 

"Leave  that,  grandmamma,"  said  he   softly;  "you 

shall  not  so  humiliate  yourself " 

16 


242  A  MaiderCs  Choice. 


"  No;  I  will  not  leave  it,"  was  the  answer;  "for  I  see 
I  am  the  only  one  who  can  find  a  possible  way  of  rescue, 
although  I  am  only  an  old  woman." 

"  But,  grandmamma,  will  the  old  gentleman  still 
remember  you  ? " 

She  laughed.  "Will  you  ever  forget  the  picture  of 
your  betrothed  ? "  asked  she,  and  her  black  eyes  fairly 
flashed  in  their  brilliancy.     "  Surely  not !    Well,  do  you 

see,  just  as  little  the  Duke  of  R Leonora  von  Deren- 

berg,  for  he  loved  me.  Army,  from  the  moment  when  I 
stood  opposite  him  for  the  first  time.  At  that  time  he 
was  still  Crown  Prince.  My  husband  presented  me  at 
court;  there  was  a  festival  there — I  do  not  remember 
now  for  what  it  was  held;  then  when  I  appeared  on 
your  grandfather's  arm  among  the  gay  crowd  which 
filled  the  room,  .illuminated  as  bright  as  day,  because 
the  ducal  pair  wished  to  see  me,  and  the  people  right 
and  left  drew  back  and  stared  at  the  stranger — the 
Italian — as  I  bowed  deeply  before  the  noble  pair,  a 
slight  sound  of  surprise  met  my  ear,  and  as  I  raised  my 
eyes  they  met  those  of  a  young,  handsome  man,  which 
hung  upon  me  in  a  fire  of  admiration.  I  was  seventeen 
years  old.  Army;  and  what  is  there  more  intoxicating 

for  a  woman  than  to  be  admired,  and It  is  over, 

over,"  whispered  she;  "why  conjure  up  the  past?" 

"  And  ? "  asked  the  young  man,  and  suddenly  stood 
close  before  her. 

"And,"  repeated  she,  dreamily,  without  glancing  at 
his  flushed  face,  "  he  often  came  to  Derenberg.  He 
was  my  cavalier  on  every  occasion,  until  he  went  for  a 
long  tour.  His  good  parents  were  anxious  about  him, 
and  my  husband,  who  played  the  most  laughable 
Othello  whom  the  world  has  ever  seen,  hated  the  gay 


A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


243 


prince  because  my  lips  laughed  when  he  spoke,  and  my 
eyes  shone  when  I  saw  him,  which  they  had  formerly 
almost  forgotten  to  do.  Everything  was  so  boundlessly 
wearisome  that  surrounded  me — the  sky,  the  earth,  the 
people,  even  the  entertainments  which  my  husband 
arranged.      He,     in    conjunction    with    the    princely 


parents,  removed  the  butterfly  who  so  violently  circled 
round  the  lighted  candle — in  a  plebeian  manner,  like 
everything  here  in  this  country.  I  knew  who  it  was 
who  made  my  husband  attentive,  who  made  him  see  the 
worst   in  the  perfectly  harmless   intercourse.     Oh,    I 

hated  him — my  brother- iu-law,  this " 

"Grandmother!     And  you  would  write  to  this  man! 


244  -^  Maiden's  Choice. 


Beg  of  him,    because  he  once  admired  you?      Him, 
whom  my  grandfather  hated  ? " 

"I  am  now  an  old  woman,  my  child,"  replied  she 
proudly,  and  threw  back  her  still  beautiful  head,  "and 
I  am  only  responsible  to  myself  for  my  actions.  When, 
twenty  years  ago,  all  this  poverty  ourst  upon  us,  he 
wrote  to  me  he  had  not  forgotten  the  woman  who  had 
once  charmed  his  young  heart.  I  could  have  saved  Us 
by  one  step  from  the  distressing  circumstances,  but  I 
knew  what  I  owed  the  name  of  Derenberg  and  myself. " 
She  stood  before  her  grandson  with  raised  hand,  and 
her  large  eyes  shone  with  noble  pride. 

"Do  you  think  it  will  be  easy  for  me  to  write  to 
him  ? "  she  continued.  "  I  do  it  for  your  sake.  Army, 
for  your  hand  is  paralyzed  by  the  little  bit  of  misfor- 
tune which  has  touched  you;  it  has  made  you  a  weak 
dreamer  instead  of  a  strong-willed  man;  therefore,  I 
shall  act  in  your  place."  She  walked  past  him,  and 
disappeared  into  the  adjoining  room.  The  door  slammed 
so  violently  behind  her  that  the  dark-red  curtains  blew 
far  into  the  room. 

The  young  man,  who  remained  there  alone,  stood 
quite  motionless  by  the  fire  and  looked  into  space.  At 
times  he  shook  his  head  slightly,  and  a  bitter  smile 
wandered  about  his  mouth;  then  he  drew  himself  up,  as 
one  who  has  suddenly  taken  a  firm  resolution. 

"Army!"  then  called  a  soft  voice,  and  through  the 
folds  of  the  red  portieres  the  blonde  head  of  his  sister 
peeped  in;  "Army,  please  come  downstairs.  Quick! 
Mamma  sent  me."  She  had  hurried  into  the  room. 
"  Do  you  know  what  I  think  ? "  whispered  she. 
"Mamma  has  lighted  a  fir  tree,  there  is  such  a  bright 
light  coming  through   the  crack    of   the    door."     He 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  245 

looked  in  her  eyes,  which  shone  up  at  him  so  childishly 
happy.  "Quick!"  begged  she.  "Grandmamma  will 
not  come;  she  does  not  care  to  see  German  Christmas 
trees. " 

"Yes,  come,  Nelly,"  said  he.  It  sounded  strangely 
firm,  and  putting  his  arm  round  his  little  sister,  he 
quickly  drew  her  from  the  room. 


XIV. 

It  was  already  twilight  when  Lieschen  packed  a 
dainty  little  basket  full  of  delicacies  upstairs  in  her 
room.  Again  and  again  something  yet  nicer  was  laid 
in,  and  at  last  she  closed  the  puffing  cover,  and  a  half 
aloud  "So,  now;  that  is  almost  all  chocolate  and 
marchpane — those  she  likes  best,"  came  from  her  red 
lips.  Then  she  began  to  sing,  while  she  drew  on  a  fur- 
lined  jacket,  and  set  the  cap  belonging  to  it — of  black 
velvet,  bordered  with  marten  fur — rakishly  on  the  brown 
braids.  She  looked  scrutinizingly  in  the  mirror,  and 
suddenly  began  to  laugh. 

"Just  like  a  boy!  Auntie  is  right,"  said  she,  and 
pushed  the  dainty  head-covering  somewhat  straighten 
"  Now  the  muff,  and  then  I  must  hurry,  so  that  I  am 
home  again  punctually. " 

She  seized  muff  and  basket,  and  ran  downstairs.  "  I 
am  going  to  see  Nelly,"  she  called  into  the  sitting- 
room,  the  door  of  which  was  ajar. 

"Only  come  back  at  the  right  time,  Liesel,"  warned 
Auntie,  "or  else  uncle  will  be  vexed,  and  the  children 
cross.  You  know  the  Christmas  tree  is  to  be  lighted 
for  them  at  seven." 

"Yes,  yes;  certainly,"  cried  Lieschen,  and  was  gone. 

Auntie  looked  after  her  as  she  crossed  the  mill  bridge. 
"  Dear  mercy!  "  thought  she,  "how  will  things  look  up 
at  the  castle?  No  Christmas  man  from  Reichenbach 
will  come  there." 


A  MaiderC  s  Choice. 


247 


With  that  she  rose,  took  the  bunch  of  keys  from  the 
hook,  fastened  it  to  her  snowy  apron,  and  left  the  room. 
"  I  will  see  whether  the  Christmas  tree  room  is  nice  and 
warm,"   said   she,  at  the 
open  door,  and  then  went 
upstairs. 

Up  there  the  fire  crack- 
led gayly  in  the  old  green 
porcelain  stove,  the 
strange  odor  of  the  fir  tree 
which  stood  in  the  middle 
of  the  large  table  met 
her,  and  the  flags  of  tinsel 
rustled  softly  in  the 
draught  from  the  door. 
The  old  woman  stood 
still  and  looked  around 
the  dim  room.  It  was 
just  as  so  many  many, 
years  ago;  the  same  old 
table  to-day  bore  the 
presents.  Here  she  had 
come  as  a  child,  with 
little,  thankful  heart,  and 
had  looked  at  the  bright 
lights  of  the  tree.  Here 
she  had  stood  as  a  fresh 
young  girl,  and  rejoiced 
with  all  her  heart  at  the  simple  presents;  and  there, 
just  opposite  her  place,  Lisette's  sweet  face  had  looked 
through  the  branches  of  the  tree.  She  thought  she  could 
still  hear  her  happy  "  Does  it  please  you  too,  Marie?" 

The  old  woman  slowly  walked  round  the  table;  the 


24.^  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


fire  in  the  stove  threw  a  flickering  light  on  the  pictures 
on  the  walls,  on  the  stiff-backed  flowery  sofa,  and  illu- 
minated the  bouquet  of  roses  upon  the  footstool  which 
the  old  hands  stroked  caressingly.  "  The  good  child!  " 
she  murmured.  "She  took  all  these  stitches  for  old 
Auntie ;  she  also  did  so — Lisette ;  how  busily  her  fingers 
could  move!  I  still  have  it,  the  needle-book  which  she 
once  laid  under  the  burning  tree  for  me,  with  the  fat- 
beaked  little  dove,  and  the  forget-me-not  wreath  on  it. 
Ah,  Christmas,  Christmas!  It  is  the  loveliest  feast!" 
How  long  shall  she  celebrate  it  also?  And  will  they 
miss  the  old  Auntie  when  her  place  is  empty? 

She  wiped  her  eyes.  No,  no;  Liesel  will  not  forget 
her;  she  knows  that  Auntie  would  give  her  heart's 
blood  for  her.  "  But,  one  thing  more.  Lord !  "  whis- 
pered the  old  lips,  and  the  hands  folded  themselves. 
"Let  me  live  for  one  thing  more — that  I  may  see  her 
as  a  happy  wife  near  her  husband — then  I  will  gladly 
die.  Old  Auntie  could  never  rest  in  her  grave  if  she 
did  not  know  that  her  darling  was  happy.  Only  one 
Christmas  night,  when  Lieschen  carries  her  child  across 
the  threshold  of  the  old  room,  and  the  little  hands  joy- 
ously reach  out  for  the  burning  tree — let  me  yet  see 
that,  then  enough  of  life  and  happiness." 

Meanwhile,  the  young  girl  sat  beside  Nelly  by  the 
fire,  talking;  opposite  her.  Army  leaned  back  in  his 
chair;  he  was  busy  with  his  thoughts,  and  only  occa- 
sionally listened  when  the  gay  laugh  of  one  of  the  girls 
roused  him  from  his  brooding. 

"And  mother  received  from  father  a  pill-box,"  now 
said  Lieschen.  "On  top  was  written,  'The  best  medi- 
cine,' and  within  lay  money  for  the  trip  to  Italy.  You 
know,  Nelly,  the  doctor  always  tells  mamma  she  must 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  249 

not  pass  the  winter  here;  but  she  rebels  with  all  her 
strength.     Now  she  has  half  yielded." 

"She  surely  will  not  go  alone?"  asked  Nelly. 

"  No;  papa  is  going  with  her,  in  any  case,  and " 

"Well,  and ?" 

"And  I,"  added  Lieschen  hesitatingly. 

"And  are  you  not  glad?"  cried  Nelly  excitedly. 
"Oh,  to  Italy!     How  lovely  it  must  be  there!  " 

"No;  I  would  rather  stay  here  with  Auntie.  I  am 
perfectly  well,  and  no  place  can  be  nicer  than  our 
home." 

"Oh,  Lieschen,  you  little  goose!  "  said  Nelly. 

"No,  Nelly;  you  must  not  think  I  am  a  goose;  but 
I  have  another  reason,  but  you  must  not  betray  me,  for 
I  have  not  yet  said  anything  to  father  about  it.  See, 
then.  Bertha,  the  daughter  of  our  head  inspector  in  the 
mill ;  she  has  weak  lungs.  The  doctor  says  only  a  stay 
in  Vevey  or  Montreux  can  save  her.  She  is  much  more 
ill  than  mother,  and  I  would  so  like  to  have  Bertha  go 
in  my  place.  I  am  still  young;  I  will  yet  come  here 
to  talk  of  'bella  Italia  '  with  your  grandmamma." 

Army  suddenly  rose  and  went  to  the  window.  The 
young  girl  had  spoken  softly,  but  nevertheless  he  had 
heard  every  syllable.  So  she  was  still  the  old  good- 
hearted  Liesel,  who  gave  her  bread  and  butter,  and  her 
bright  threepences,  which  Auntie  so  carefully  col- 
lected, to  the  first  workingman's  child  whom  she  met. 
She  still  shook  her  head,  half  defiantly,  half  ashamed, 
when  she  was  scolded,  as  at  that  time.  And  then 
another  form  rose  before  him — a  delicate  little  figure, 
surrounded  by  red,  lustrous  hair — which  started  back 
from  beggars,  and  the  "  rabble  "  were  pitilessly  driven 
from  her  door  at  a  sign  from  her  little  hand.     She  drew 


250  A  Maiden's  Choice.  1 

her  gown  around  her  with  an  expression  of  disgust  if  a 
cripple  stretched  out  his  hand  imploringly  to  her  when 
she  was  out  on  the  promenade.  "  Do  not  give  him  any- 
thing, Army,"  she  had  said.  "It  is  very  distasteful  to 
me.  Come,  come!  Aunt  gives  immoderately  to  the 
poor."  And  so  she  had  hurried  past  strange  misery, 
and  held  her  perfumed  lace  handkerchief  to  her  face. 

Outside,  the  park  lay  calm  and  snowy.  Each  tree 
stood  out  plainly  from  the  clear  background,  and  down 
there  lights  shone  from  the  windows  of  the  mill.  The 
comfortable  old  house,  how  pleasantly  it  rose  to  his 
mind.  As  if  hidden,  one  might  there  live  in  comfort- 
able, care-free  existence,  without  dread  of  the  future, 
of  coming  oppressing  need ! 

"  From  the  time  of  youth,  from  the  time  of  youth, 
Rings  a  song  yet  in  my  heart  ; 
But  how  far  those  days,  O  how  far  in  truth, 
That  were  once  my  part." 

sounded  tenderly  and  softly  over  to  him.  He  turned ; 
there  she  stood,  at  the  old  piano,  the  slender  and  so 
lightly  built  girlish  form;  her  little  head  was  bent 
somewhat  forward,  and  Army  thought,  by  the  soft  light 
which  the  lamp  threw  in  this  corner,  that  he  could 
perceive  a  delicate  flush  on  Lieschen's  face.  A  deep 
emotion  sounded  in  her  voice. 

"  Now  the  last  verse,"  begged  Nelly.  "  Mamma  likes 
to  hear  it  so." 

"I  cannot,"  replied  she  softly,  and  turned  back  to 
the  room. 

"Oh,  what  a  pity,  Lieschen,"  now  said  Nelly's 
mother.      "  Not  even  a  Christmas  song?" 

Immediately  she  went  again  to  the  piano  and 
sung  one. 


A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


251 


Softly  the  last  tones  of  the  old  Christmas  song  died 
in  the  lofty  room.     There  was  silence;  for  each  one  it 


fi^^ 


had  awakened  different  recollections,  and  still  they  all 
sprung  from  the  same  ground. 

The  sickly  woman  there  in  the  chair  thought  of  the 
time  when  she,  a  young  mother,  had  taught  her  boy 
these  words,  so  that  he  could  repeat  them  to  his  father, 
under  the  splendid  Christmas  tree;  she  saw  again  the 
charming  boy,  encircled  by  her  arm,  stand  before  the 
handsome  man.  She  had  knelt  beside  the  child,  and 
folded  his  little  hands  together  in  prayer.  Many  lights 
shone  from  the  branches  of  the  trees,  and  were  reflected 
in  the  child's  sparkling  eyes;  he  also  must  be  proud  of 
his  son.  "  Now  pray,  my  boy!  "  and  the  clear,  childish 
voice  had  spoken  so  seriously  and  touchingly. 

This  evening  did  not  stand  before  the  eyes  of  the 
young  man.  It  had  vanished  from  his  remembrance; 
but  he  saw  himself  near  two  little  girls,  down  there  in 


252  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


Auntie's  room.  Both  sat  on  a  bench  at  the  old  woman's 
feet,  the  rosy  little  mouths  wide-opened,  their  eyes 
earnestly  fixed  on  the  distance.  They  sung,  not  with 
skill,  it  is  true,  but  still  so  boldly,  and  so  glowing 
with  Christmas  joy. 

"Army  is  not  singing.  Auntie,"  the  larger  girl  had 
interrupted  the  song,  and  glanced  up  questioningly 
at  her. 

"  Then  there  will  be  no  cakes  for  him  when  the  Santa 
Claus  comes,"  had  been  the  answer. 

Then  the  little  one  had  tripped  over  to  him.  "  Army, 
sing!"  she  had  begged,  with  tears  in  her  blue  eyes,  and 
as  he  defiantly  shook  his  dark  curly  head  she  had  put 
her  little  hands  up  to  her  face  quite  inconsolably. 
And  then  Santa  Claus  had  come,  in  a  great  rough  fur 
coat,  and  had  rattled  the  nuts  in  his  bag,  and  threaten- 
ingly drawn  a  switch  out  from  under  his  arm.  "Are 
the  children  good.  Auntie?  Can  they  say  their 
prayers?"  he  had  asked  in  a  hollow  voice. 

"Yes,  the  girls,  indeed;  but  he,  the  boy  there,  is  a 
little  defiant  fellow,  who  will  not  sing  his  Christmas 
hymn.  Take  him  away  to  your  snow  cave,  Santa 
Claus!"  And  then  the  little  girl  had  cried  loudly,  and 
forgetting  her  shyness,  had  run  over  to  the  feared  man. 

"  No,  no,  dear  Santa  Claus,  do  not  take  Army  away 
with  you !  He  is  not  naughty.  I  will  not  have  a  single 
cake  either!"  And  Nelly  had  also  joined  in  the  dis- 
consolate crying;  and  finally  Santa  Claus  must  leave 
without  having  heard  a  single  prayer;  and  Auntie's 
consoling  and  the  children's  weeping  sounded  behind 
him.  But  he,  the  naughty  boy,  did  not  cry.  He 
laughed  when  the  last  tip  of  the  fur  coat  had  disap- 
peared, and  boldly  asserted  that  it  had  not  been  Santa 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  253 

Claus  at  all,  but  Peter,  the  coachman,  irt^the  miller's 
coat,  turned  wrong  side  out. 

Army  recalled  all  these  pleasant  childhood  experi- 
ences, and  involuntarily  the  question  forced  itself  to 
his  lips,  "  Do  you  remember?"  Then  he  was  silent, 
as  if  startled  by  his  words,  which  sounded  so  loud  in 
the  quiet  room.  They  were  all  long  past,  these  child- 
ish dreams.  He  was  a  man — a  man?  No,  a  weak 
dreamer,  whom  the  little  bit  of  misfortune  in  the  house 
had  paralyzed !  She  sat  upstairs  now,  the  old  woman, 
and  wrote,  to  save  him,  a  letter  which  was  perhaps  the 
hardest  in  all  her  life;  and  she  did  it  because  he  was 
no  man. 

"I  must  go  home."  Lieschen  took  her  fur  jacket 
from  the  chair. 

"Oh,  will  you  not  stay  this  evening?"  asked  Nelly. 

"Thank  you.  Unfortunately,  I  cannot,"  replied  she 
hesitatingly.  "  The  pastor  and  his  family  are  coming 
to  us  to-day,  you  know,  Nelly,  and  I  must  not  be 
missing." 

"Oh,  truly!     But  come  again  soon." 

"Certainly.  But  you,  too,  Nelly.  Auntie  would 
be  inconsolable  if  you  did  not  taste  her  festival  cake." 

"May  I  accompany  you?"  said  Army's  voice  in 
her  ear. 

"Oh,   no,    thank    you,"  stammered    she   confusedly, 


"  To-day  is  a  holiday — you  might  meet  some 
drunken  men."  He  cut  short  her  answer  and  took  up 
his  cap  and  sword. 

It  was  a  wonderful  winter  evening  which  had  sunk 
over  the  earth  that  Christmas.  Not  a  breath  was  stir- 
ring; the  world  lay  there  in  perfect  silence,  wrapped  in 


254  ^  Maiden's  Choice. 


a  brilliant  white  spotless  covering,  overarched  by  a 
sky  from  which  millions  of  stars  sparkled  through  the 
clear,  cold  air.  Down  in  the  village  the  lighted  win- 
dows shone  out  from  under  the  snow-covered  roofs; 
and  up  here  at  the  turning  point,  by  the  snowy  sand- 
stone bench,  stands  a  slender  couple.  The  old  linden 
stretches  its  bare  branches,  as  if  astonished,  over  the 
young  heads,  to  hide  them  so  that  no  eye  may  see  them. 
Is  it,  then,  now  time  for  love  ?  each  bare  twig  seems  to 
ask.  Now,  when  no  nightingale  sings,  no  green  foli- 
age can  whisper  a  love  greeting? 

"  I  shall  help  you  to  make  your  life  less  gloomy. 
Army?     Really?"  came  hesitatingly  from  the  red  lips. 

"If  you  will,  Lieschen,"  replied  he  softly. 

"  If  I  will  ? "  asked  she,  and  great  tears  fell  from  the 
blue  eyes.     "  Ah,  Army,  you  do  not  know  what  I " 

"  You  must  not  cry,  Lieschen,"  begged  he,  and  kissed 
her  forehead  lightly  and  timidly. 

"Ah,  let  me,"  whispered  she,  blushing,  and  leaned 
more  closely  against  him;  "let  me.  I  am  weeping 
with  happiness — too  great  happiness." 

How  had  it  happened  ?  How  did  she  feel  now  as  she 
walked  over  the  mill  bridge  alone?  Was  it,  then,  pos- 
sible, or  did  a  malicious  dream  dance  before  her  eyes? 
But  no;  she  heard  his  earnest  words  so  plainly — the 
kiss  on  her  forehead  still  burned  like  fire — it  was  reality ; 
it  was  no  drea  n ;  and  to-morrow — her  heart  began  to 
beat  violently  as  she  saw  the  bright  windows  of  the 
house — then  he  would  come  to  her  father.  Ah,  yes; 
how  beautiful  life  was;  and  she  was  betrothed — a  happy 
betrothed;  his  betrothed! 

She  stood  and  looked  back ;  now  he  must  be  walking 
up  there,  past  the  solitary  old  linde'    Nhich,  in  spite 


A  Maiden' s  Choice.  257 

of  snow  and  ice,  had  seen  the  sweetest  happiness  bloom 
this  evening.  He  loved  her — really  loved  her?  She 
shook  her  head  at  the  miracle — the  never  hoped  for 
miracle;  and  would  not  her  parents  and  Auntie  see  that 

she No,  no,  not  yet;  not  until  the  pastor's  family 

are  gone;  then  she  would  tell  her  father  that  to-morrow 
some  one  was  coming  who 

And  now  she  entered  the  door.  The  old  knocker 
rapped  so  horribly  loudly  to-day,  and  she  wished  to  first 
run  up,  unobserved,  to  her  room.  No,  she  could  not; 
for  just  then  Auntie  raised  the  curtain  from  the  glass 
door,  and  immediately  after  it  was  opened. 

"  Oh,  you  long  stayer!"  said  the  old  voice  pleasantly. 
"I  was  just  about  to  send  Dorte;  we  thought  some 
one  had  carried  you  off." 

"Good  evening!"  replied  she,  but  her  voice  almost 
failed  her  from  the  stormy  beating  of  her  heart.  "Is 
it  really  so  late  already  ? " 

"Well,  I  think  so,"  said  the  old  woman,  and  closed 
the  door  behind  her.  There  sat  the  father  at  the  round 
table,  and  mother  and  Uncle  Pastor  on  the  sofa. 

"  There  you  are!  "  her  father  greeted  her  pleasantly, 
and  drew  the  slender  figure  to  him.  "  What  do  you  say 
now,  Liesel  ?  Only  think,  the  children  in  the  parson- 
age have  scarlet  fever,  and  cannot  come  to  the  Christ- 
mas tree.     Is  it  not  sad?" 

"Very  sad!"  replied  she,  but  her  eyes  shone  so 
strangely,  and  such  a  happy  smile  played  about  her 
mouth,  that  was  not  in  harmony  with  her  words.  At 
any  other  time  she  would  have  broken  out  in  loud 
regret,  but  to-day  she  scarcely  understood  what  was 
told  her. 

"  Uncle  Pastor  "  looked  at  her  quite  surprisedly. 
17 


258 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"Child,  you  look  so  heated,"  said  the  mother. 
"  You  must  have  run  very  fast  ? " 

"Yes,  yes,"  teased  Auntie;  "all  is  not  right  with  the 
girl.  See  how  crooked  her  fur  cap  is!  Come  here,  my 
heart's  blossom- — you  forget  that  you  still  have  your 
things  on." 

"  Never  mind.  Auntie.  I  will  take  them  off  upstairs 
in  my  room.  I  will  be  down  right  away  again,"  and 
she  was  gone. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  the  child?"  asked  Mrs. 
Erving  anxiously. 

But  the  child  stood  in  her  little  room,  breathing 
heavily.     The  fur  jacket  and  cap  flew  to  the  nearest 


chair,  and  then  she  sunk  on  her  knees  before  the  bed, 
where  she  said  her  prayers  every  evening,  and  buried 
her  glowing  face  in  the  pillows,  and  folded  her  hands; 
but  no  word  came  from  the  lips;  only  from  her  heart 
rose  a  confused  prayer  of  thanks,  a  nameless  shyness, 
an  indescribable  feeling  of  happiness.  At  length  she 
sprang  up  and  opened  the  window.     "Up  there!    up 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  259 

there!"  she  whispered,  and  waved  her  hand,  as  if  he 
could  see.  Did  he  think  of  her  now?  Had  he  told  his 
mother  that  he  had  held  little,  childish  Lieschen  from 
the  mill  in  his  arms  and  kissed  her?     And  Nelly? 

"  Lieschen!  Lieschen!  "  was  called  from  below. 

"At  once,"  answered  she — it  sounded  like  a  cry  of 
joy.  She  took  the  lamp  and  went  to  the  mirror;  dark, 
glowing  eyes  looked  out  of  the  glass  at  her.  *'  His 
betrothed!  "  she  whispered.  "His  betrothed!"  and  a 
deep  blush  overspread  her  face.  She  quickly  put  out 
the  light,  and  hurried  downstairs. 

"They  are  already  in  the  dining-room,  miss,"  Dorte 
called  to  her,  and  then  she  suddenly  giggled.  "Oh, 
goodness,  goodness,  miss,  there  is  a  secret  bride  in  the 
house.      Only  see — one,  two,  three  lights!" 

The  young  girl,  who  already  held  the  knob  of  the 
dining-room  door  in  her  hand,  turned  round,  blushing 
deeply.  Truly,  there  stood  Dorte,  with  the  kitchen 
lamp,  there  hung  the  green-shaded  lamp  from  the  wall, 
and  Auntie  had  just  come  from  her  room  with,  and  held 
her  hand  protectingly  before,  the  flickering  wax-candle, 
so  that  the  light  fell  full  upon  the  good  old  face. 

"It  is  possible,"  said  she,  as  if  vexed.  "Girl,  you 
are  perfectly  crazy ;  there  she  cries  out  so  that  I  thought 
at  least  she  had  taken  the  grand  prize  in  the  lottery. 
Secret  bride!  Foolishness;  you  know  best  who  it  is 
yourself!  Every  night  a  pair  of  lovers  stand  at  the 
garden  gate,  in  spite  of  the  deepest  snow.  Go  in, 
child.  I  will  come  at  once."  She  turned  to  Lieschen, 
who  hesitatingly  opened  the  door  of  the  dining-room 
and  entered  with  the  old  woman. 

There  they  sat,  the  father,  the  mother,  and  the  pas- 
tor; and  the  latter  asked  a  blessing,  and  then  Dorte 


26o  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

appeared  with  the  fragrant  roast  goose,  which  the  host 
proceeded  to  carve. 

"And  do  you  know,  pastor,"  said  he,  continuing  an 
interrupted  conversation,  and  sharpened  the  knife  on 
the  steel,  "  it  would  be  a  true  blessing  if  the  affair 
really  came  to  something;  but  I  cannot  believe  in  it; 
it  has  been  talked  of  for  ten  years." 

"Yes;  I  cannot  tell  you  anything  more,  Frederick," 
replied  the  pastor,   "  than  what   I  heard   recently  in 

B ,  from  the  builder,  Leonhardt.     He  said  in  the 

spring  a  commission  would  come  to  purchase  the  land, 
and  as  soon  as  this  is  done,  the  building  will  be  begun. 
Railroad  or  not,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  only 
wish "    He  passed  his  hand  over  his  forehead. 

"  You  are  worried  about  the  children's  sickness,  pas- 
tor?" asked  the  hostess,  after  a  pause,  sympathetically. 

"Well,  yes,  to  be  frank,"  replied  he,  and  looked 
really  troubled.  "We  are  all  in  God's  hand,  but  the 
human  heart  is  easily  discouraged.  The  malicious  ill- 
ness broke  out  especially  severely  this  year.  The  chil- 
dren are  sick  in  very  many  of  the  village  houses.  I 
have  buried  one,  or  even  two,  from  many  families;  and 
with  all  submission  to  the  Master's  will,  Minna, 
anxiety  cannot  be  driven  away."  i 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  uncle,  is  it  so  bad?"  Lieschen 
looked  at  him  with  great  frightened  eyes.  She  sud- 
denly seemed,  in  the  highest  degree,  unlovable  to  her- 
self; she  had,  in  her  rapture,  not  noticed  at  all  his 
anxiety  at  first.  "Shall  I  come  with  you?  Shall  I 
help?" 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed,  Lieschen ;  it  is  a  dangerous,  con- 
tagious disease — not  for  the  world! "  said  the  clergy- 
man pleasantly,  and  pressed  her   little   hand.     "No, 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  261 

no,  my  Rosine  will  tend  them  alone;  one  must  not 
thoughtlessly  expose  one's-self  to  danger.  You  are  the 
only  child;  you  must  spare  yourself  for  your  parents. 
No,  I  thank  you,  Lieschen,  we  will  get  along.  How- 
ever, I  must  go  home  soon  after  dinner.  Rosine  drove 
me  away." 

"Well,  come,  pastor,"  said  the  host  heartily,  and 
raised  his  glass  cordially,  "  let  us  drink  to  the  hope  that 
things  may  soon  go  better  at  home  and  all  anxiety  be 
useless!" 

"  But  when  were  they  taken  sick,  uncle  ? "  asked 
Lieschen.  "  Yesterday,  when  I  came  out  of  church, 
they  were  playing  noisily  before  your  door — at  least, 
the  girls  were." 

"Well,  my  child,  this  is  the  way  it  was.  After  they 
had  had  their  presents  yesterday  evening,  little  Bern- 
hard  would  not  eat.  Lena  cried  that  her  neck  hurt 
her,  and  the  oldest  one  complained  of  headache. 
They  were  put  to  bed,  and  drank  elder  tea,  and  this 
morning  all  three  had  bright  red  cheeks,  and  cried,  the 
poor  things;  and  the  doctor  came,  and  said,  'Stay  in 
bed.'" 

"Yes,  yes,"  nodded  Auntie.  "Sickness  comes  by 
extra  post,  and  goes  away  on  crutches.  What  a  pity 
on  the  lovely  Christmas  festival !" 

"  Well,  the  tree  shall  stand  until  they  are  well  again, 
and  then  they  will  have  a  double  pleasure  in  the  pres- 
ents. God  grant  that  no  one  is  missing  at  that  time," 
said  the  host. 

The  pastor's  grave  face  lightened.  "  But  enough  of 
this,"  said  he,  collecting  himself;  "I  do  not  wish  to 
spoil  your  pleasure — eh,  Lieschen  ?  Laugh  again,  you 
looked  so  radiant  before.     What  did  you  and  Nelly  do? 


262  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


Your  face  shone  like  the  personification  of  pleasure  and 
happiness." 

The  young  girl  blushed  crimson,  and  lowered  her 
eyes  shyly  to  her  plate. 

"But  things  cannot  look  very  bright  up  there,"  in- 
terposed Mr.  Erving. 

"Ah,  yes;  there  is  bitter  misery  there  also,  it  is 
true,"  sighed  the  pastor.  "  Little  children,  little  cares; 
large  children,  large  cares!     It  is  so  in  the  world." 

"  But,  dear  patience,"  said  the  old  woman,  "  we  must 
have  a  little  bit  of  confidence  in  God.  I  am  not  wor- 
ried about  Army;  the  false  love  will  not  crush  the 
heart  of  such  fresh  young  life;  besides,  he  is  proud, 
and  unhappy  love  is  the  kindling  of  new  love.  He 
will  soon  have  another  sweetheart." 

"Well,  that  is  a  secondary  affair.  Auntie;  but  the 
unfortunate  circumstances  besides,  and "  1 

Bang!  The  door  had  closed,  and  the  young  girl  dis- 
appeared.   The  others  glanced  at  each  other  in  surprise. 

"And  the  precious  money!"  continued  the  pastor. 
"  The  debts  have  not  grown  less  since  the  engagement. 
Gay  life  is  in  his  blood,  so  to  speak.  Well,  you 
know,  Frederick,  they  say  there  are  noble  passions. 
What  will  become  of  him,  God  knows." 

"What?"  asked  the  host,  in  a  tone  of  the  deepest 
sympathy.  "  Has  he  begun  so  already  ?  Confound  it, 
where  did  you  hear  that  ? " 

"  I  learned  that  quite  accidentally,  recently.  Fred- 
erick, you  know  I  was  in  B a  short  time  ago,  and 

called  upon  Count  S ,  in  whose  house  I  was  tutor 

for  five  years.  Then  the  Count  asked  about  affairs 
here.  At  that  time  people  were  wondering  a  great  deal 
at  the  strangely  suddenly  broken  engagement,  and  the 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  263 

poor  jilted  groom,  and  it  was  then  I  learned  that  he  is 
on  the  verge  of  bankruptcy.  He  is  greatly  pitied  by 
every  one,  and  the  behavior  of  the  young  lady,  as  well 
as  that  of  her  father,  severely  censured;  and  I  must 
say " 

"  Did  you  hear  anything  more  definite?"  asked  Mrs. 
Erving  sympathetically. 

"Well,  yes — he  must  have  been  madly  in  love  with 
the  little  red  head;  and  in  his  fondness  purchased  car- 
riages and  all  sorts  of  things  for  his  betrothed,  and  in 
this  manner  incurred  large  debts.  Unfortunately,  the 
aunt  died  before  the  wedding,  and  at  the  opening  of 
the  will  it  was  discovered  that  the  niece  is  the  sole 
heiress.  Immediately  she  informed  him  of  the  fact, 
and  now  he  sits  there  with  his  debts  and  does  not  know 
what  to  do." 

The  host  drummed  his  finger  violently  on  the  table. 

"That  you — that  you "  said  he,  in  an  undertone; 

"  and  what  will  he  do  now  ? " 

"What  will  he  do?  Good  gracious!  What  do  all 
such?     Most  probably  he  will  go  across  the  water " 

"You  mean  to  America?" 

"  Yes.  What  else,  Frederick  ?  I  assure  you,  I  know 
that.  During  my  stay  in  the  Count's  house  I  had  so 
many  glances  into  this  circle — it  is  an  exposed  life, 
the  officer  life.  Heaven  knows  how  it  happens;,  it 
begins  so  easily  with  a  note,  and  in  a  short  time  they 
are  in  debt  up  to  their  ears.  The  usurers — those 
stranglers — when  they  once  have  one  in  their  grip,  he 
does  not  get  away  again.  Yes,  yes;  it  is  a  bad  world," 
he  added,  rising.  "  But  now  I  must  think  of  going. 
How  will  it  be  at  home?" 

"We  are  very  sorry,   pastor,   really,"  said  Erving; 


264  A' Maiden' s  Choice. 


and  helped  his  friend  draw  on  his  long  overcoat. 
"  The  poor  woman  up  there  must  drain  the  bitterness 
of  life  to  the  dregs,  if  she  has  that  also  to  experience — 
to  send  the  boy  to  America! " 

"Well,  well;  he  can  seek  his  fortune  in  this  country. 
He  is  a  clever  boy.  Why  should  he  go  to  America?" 
interposed  Auntie. 

"Yes,  Auntie,"  the  clergyman  interrupted  her,  and 
tapped  the  old  woman  on  the  shoulder.  "You  do  not 
understand  that.  Such  a  gentleman,  who  has  once 
worn  the  gay  coat,  does  much  better  to  go  to  a  strange 
land,  where  no  one  knows  him." 

"Oh,  nonsense!"  said  the  old  woman  angrily. 
"Arrogance  is  a  sin  in  all,  whether  they  wear  a  helmet 
or  carry  a  flag.  What  one  sows  he  must  reap.  He 
surely  will  not  leave  mother  and  sister!  " 

"Well,  it  is  possible  that  all  may  yet  be  well.  Many 
a  one  has  saved  himself  in  a  wonderful  manner.  Per- 
haps he  will  win  a  wealthy  girl.  He  is  a  handsome 
fellow.  Good  night,  Minna;  good  night,  Frederick; 
sleep  well,  Auntie — there  is  more  grief  than  happiness 
in  the  world;  but  life  is  only  a  time  of  probation. 
Well,  once  more,  good  night." 

"  Sleep  well,  pastor,  and  a  happy  convalescence  at 
home!  "  cried  the  host,  and  accompanied  the  departing 
man  to  the  mill  bridge;  then  he  returned,  shaking  his 
head.  "It  is  a  pity  about  the  boy!"  said  he  in  an 
undertone.  "Thank  God,  I  have  none;  that  might 
happen  to  me,  eh.  Auntie  ? "  he  asked  the  old  woman, 
who  just  peeped  in  the  door.  "  Girls  are  better  than 
boys.     It  is  good  that  Liesel  is  not  a  boy." 

"  Very  true,  Frederick ;  but  you  know  there  is  also 
a   disadvantage  in  girls.     Your  blessed  grandmother 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


265 


always  said,  'Daughters  are  like  floating  property,' 
and  that  is  true.  To-day  yours,  to-morrow  a  strange 
man's.  But  did  you  see  Liesel  ?  I  sent  Minna  to 
bed — she  complained  a  little  of  headache;  but  where 
is  the  girl  hiding?" 


XV. 

Auntie  sought  her  Liesel  everywhere.  She  was  not 
in  the  sitting-room  or  in  the  Christmas  room,  and  now 
she  cautiously  opened  the  door  of  the  girl's  chamber; 
it  was  quite  dark  there,  but  yonder,  by  the  window, 
stood  a  slender,  motionless  figure,  and  gazed  out  into 
the  silent,  bright,  snowy  night. 

"  Liesel !  "  called  the  old  woman  softly. 

"Auntie,"  was  the  embarrassed  answer. 

"Tell  me,  child,  what  is  the  matter,  then?  Have 
you  a  headache?     Are  you  ill?" 

But,  instead  of  answering,  the  soft,  girlish  arms  were 
thrown  round  her,  a  glowing  face  was  hidden  on  her 
neck,  and  the  form  which  leaned  against  her  trembled 
with  suppressed  sobs. 

"Child — Liesel — what  is  it?"  asked  the  old  woman, 
startled.      "  Has  any  one  done  anything  to  you?" 

She  shook  her  head. 

"What  is  it,  then,  my  heart?  Tell  me,"  and  she 
drew  the  resisting  girl  to  the  sofa,  sat  down  beside  her, 
and  held  her  in  a  close  embrace. 

"Ah,  Auntie;  dearest,  best  Auntie " 

"What  is  it,  my  heart's  dearest?  Now?  You  are 
surely  laughing?"  she  asked  immediately  after.  "You 
foolish  thing!     What  does  that  mean?" 

"  Ah,  I  could  laugh  and  cry,  and — I  do  not  know 
what  all,"  whispered  she.  "Shut  your  eyes,  Auntie. 
I  will  tell  you  why — ah,  I  am  so  afraid  of  you " 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  267 

"Afraid  of  me?  Well,  I  must  say  that  looks  like 
you.      Now,  come — come — what  has  happened  ? " 

"I — I — am  engaged,  Auntie,"  came  softly  and  hesi- 
tatingly from  her  lips.     "  Did  you  not  guess  it  at  once  ?" 

"Engaged?  Child!"  The  old  woman  held  her  breath. 

"  Ah,  Auntie,  I  am  so  happy — so  happy!     Army " 

"  Army ! "  groaned  the  old  woman,  and  her  teeth  set 


in  fright.  "Army!  You  engaged?"  repeated  she 
dully.     "So,  then;  so,  then!" 

"Auntie!"  cried  the  anxious  voice  again — "Auntie, 
have  you,  then,  no  pleasant  word?  I  know  you  are 
worried  about  the  grandmother.  I  have  also  thought  of 
that,  but  I  am  not  at  all  afraid,  even  if  Army  had  a 
hundred  grandmothers.  We  love  each  other  so  dearly, 
so  dearly ! " 

"  Love  ?     He  loves  you  ? " 

"  But,  Auntie,  what  do  you  ask  ? "  was  the  proud  and 
offended  answer.  "  Would  he  else  have  wished  me  for 
his  bride?" 


268  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"Merciful  God!"  the  old  woman's  heart  cried  out; 
"the  poor,  foolish  child!  She  believes  herself  loved, 
and  he — he  only  wishes  her  money  to  save  himself." 
Her  money,  to  be  sure.  Had  she  only  first  heard  how 
his  affairs  stood.  But  her  mouth  was  silent;  in  dumb 
terror  she  groped  with  her  cold  hand  for  her  darling's 
which  lay  there  in  hers,  glowing  like  fire;  and  then  the 
sweet  voice  whispered  again  in  her  ear.  Was  it  not 
just  such  sweet,  foolish  nonsense  as  when  Lisette  had 
confided  to  her  her  young  love  ? 

"  Only  think.  Auntie.  I  can  make  his  life  happy 
again.  For  my  sake,  he  will  learn  to  love  it  again — 
how  beautiful  that  is!  I  can  do  that.  Auntie — is  it, 
then,  really  true?  Ah,  Auntie,  out  there  under  the 
old  snow-laden  linden,  where  I  once  saw  him  three 
years  ago,  he  asked  me.  And  now  you  will  tell  father 
and  mother,  will  you  not?  I  should  die  of — of  shame 
if  I  must  acknowledge  that  I  love  a  strange  man.  I 
cannot;  please  do  it.  If  it  were  not  dark  here,  I  could 
never  have  told  you.  Auntie,  please  speak;  give  me 
one  single  kiss " 

Lisette — Lisette — was  it  not  she  who  just  whispered? 
"  Oh,  my  God !" — the  old  faithful  heart  was  tormented — 
"  is  this  the  happiness  which  I  have  begged  for  the 
child  every  morning  and  evening?  Has  she  not 
deserved  something  a  thousand  times  better  than  this 
lot?"  And  still  she  bent  down  and  kissed  the  great 
blue  eyes,  in  which  were  the  happiest  tears  which  are 
ever  wept  in  the  life  of  a  woman. 

"Liesel,"  at  length  said  she  constrainedly,  "you  do 
not  know  what  you  have  done,  what  lies  before  you,  if 
this  unhappy — do  not  be  angry  with  me,  but  I  must 
speak  so — this  unhappy  engagement  really  takes  place. 


A  Maiden  s  Choice.  269 

You  do  not  know  the  old  baroness  as  I  know  her.  She 
will  make  you  miserable,  like  my  poor  Lisette,  whose 
fate  is  on  her  conscience;  and  I  think  that  my  con- 
science also  would  not  be  clear  if  the  misfortune 
occurred,  and  I  had  not  warned  you  now,  when  it  is  yet 
time,  and  when  as  yet  no  one  knows  of  your  love  but 
you  two  and  me.  Be  quiet !  "  whispered  she,  as  Lieschen 
wished  to  interrupt  her.  "  Oblige  old  Auntie  and  your- 
self. What  I  wish  to  tell  you  tastes  bitter,  but  it  is  a 
remedy,  and  God  grant  that  it  may  enter  into  you  and 
help  you.  It  is  the  story  of  Lisette — you  remember,  I 
wished  to  tell  it  to  you  in  the  spring,  because  I  saw 
your  love  coming;  but  at  that  time  I  could  not  bring 
it  over  my  lips — had  I  only  done  it!  " 

The  young  girl  crouched  silently  at  her  feet;  not  a 
sound  from  her  lips  betrayed  how  the  young,  scarcely 
blossomed  girlish  happiness  in  her  heart  shuddered,  as 
if  suddenly  an  icy  cold  storm  had  burst  over  the  laugh- 
ing spring. 

"So,  then.  Baron  Fritz,"  began  the  old  woman  hesi- 
tatingly, "the  brother  of  Nelly's  and  Army's  grand- 
father, was  Lisette's  betrothed.  They  had  secretly 
engaged  themselves  to  each  other;  no  one  knew  of  it 
but  me.  Baron  Fritz  wished  to  lay  his  suit  before 
Lisette's  parents,  and  speak  with  his  brother  only  when 
he  was  of  age,  and  then  they  would  buy  themselves  an 
estate.  They  were  a  happy  pair,  Liesel,  and  a  hand- 
some one,  besides;  and  they  loved  each  other  so  dearly. 
It  was  a  pleasure  to  see  them  together,  down  there  in 
the  old  arbor  by  the  water.  Baron  Fritz  was  stationed 
as  gay  Hussar  officer  in  a  little  city  not  far  from  here; 
he  often  came  over,  and  when  it  was  time  for  him  to 
arrive  Lisette  stood  by  the  window  in  her  room  and 


270  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


looked  over  at  the  tower,  and  then  a  light  flashed  out 
from  up  there — that  was  the  signal  that  he  was  coming 
to  her.  Then  she  laughed  for  joy,  and  clapped  her 
hands  together,  and  ran  into  the  woods  a  little  way  to 
meet  him. 

"And  then,  one  Saturday  evening,  his  brother's 
young,  beautiful  wife,  Nelly's  grandmother,  entered 
the  castle.  Lisette  and  I  had  run  there  to  see  her;  the 
whole  castle  was  illuminated,  and  the  servants  waited 
at  the  entrance  with  torches,  and  Baron  Fritz  stood 
there  with  his  old  mother,  and  then  the  young  couple 
came  driving  up.  It  must  be  said  that  the  young  wife 
was  beautiful ;  but  there  was  pride  in  her  bearing,  pride 
on  the  pale  face,  and  pride  shone  from  the  great  black 
eyes.      Lisette  grewquite  white  when  she  looked  at  her. 

"'She  will  not  be  my  friend,  Marie,'  said  she  to  me. 

"And  she  was  right.  God  knows  how  the  proud 
woman  learned  that  Baron  Fritz  was  in  love  with 
Lisette,  and  who  suggested  to  her  the  devilish  plan  for 
separating  them.  I  only  know  one  thing — she  suc- 
ceeded.    And  how  well — yes,  how  well  she  succeeded! 

"  It  was  in  autumn,  and  the  castle  full  of  guests  for 
the  hunting.  One  could  plainly  hear  the  horns  in  the 
forest,  and  every  evening  the  castle  windows  were 
brightly  illuminated.  The  mad  life  began  up  there 
which  the  mistress  of  the  castle  so  loved,  and  by  which 
she  has  almost  beggared  her  family.  But  Baron  Fritz 
took  leave  of  Lisette;  he  could  not  come  again  for  a 
long  time,  and  she  gave  him  a  little  gold  heart,  which 
^he  always  wore.  I  heard  her  tell  him,  'There,  love, 
put  the  lock  of  my  hair  in  it,  and  think  of  me!'  See, 
Lieschen,  this  golden  heart  was  Lisette's  death.  But 
listen  further.     Baron  Fritz  went  away,  and  so  passed 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  271 

,  ' 

two  weeks.  The  lovers  could  not  write  to  each  other, 
for  then  everything  would  have  become  public;  besides, 
at  that  time  they  were  not  so  great  at  writing  as  they 
are  to-day ;  but  they  thought  so  much  the  more  of  each 
other,  and  often  it  is  the  other  way  now.  Well,  then, 
Fritz  went  away,  and  every  evening,  from  habit,  Lisette 
stood  at  the  window,  and  looked  over  at  the  tower 
room,  for  Baron  Fritz  always  occupied  that  when  he 
was  here.  But  it  remained  dark  every  evening,  and 
still  it  could  not  possibly  be  otherwise,  for  he  could 
not  be  back  again  for  four  weeks,  and  only  two  had 
elapsed.  Then,  one  evening,  Lisette  cried  out,  and 
ran  to  me,  for  I  had  just  come  with  my  knitting  to  talk 
with  her  a  little. 

"'Heavens! '  cried  she,  'he  is  there — there  is  a  light 
in  the  tower,'  and,  truly,  the  light  shone  from  the  bay- 
window.  She  did  not  even  take  a  shawl,  and  flew  out 
of  the  house.  After  a  while  she  came  back.  'He  did 
not  come,'  said  she;  'what  does  that  mean?'  I  shook 
my  head.  'Well,  wait,  Lisette!  I  will  ask  Christian 
to-morrow. '  But  Christian  did  not  come,  and  at  noon  a 
boy  brought  me  a  message  that  I  must  not  expect  him, 
for  he  had  gone  on  a  journey  for  the  mistress,  to  buy  her 
a  new  horse. 

"Well,  Lisette  was  in  a  state  of  uneasiness  which 
cannot  be  described.  As  soon  as  twilight  fell  she 
stood  at  the  window,  and  again  the  light  was  visible 
up  there.  Then  she  ran  outside,  and  came  back  pale, 
and  threw  herself,  weeping,  on  the  sofa.  God  knows 
she  must  have  had  already  some  suspicion  of  what  was 
before  her,  for  she  would  hear  no  consolation.  'He  is 
there,  and  does  not  come;  he  loves  me  no  longer,' 
sobbed  she.      'Ah,  I  shall  die  if  it  is  so.' 


272  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"  On  the  third  evening  the  same  story ;  Lisette  looked 
like  the  plastering  ori  the  wall.  Then  the  tower  room 
remained  dark. 

"  Perhaps  four  days  after  Lisette  and  I  sat  before 
the  house  door,  in  the  noonday  sunhsine,  and  plucked 
birds,  and  she  watched  the  feathers  flying  in  the  air, 
while  one  sigh  after  another  came  from  her  lips.  Then 
a  girl  came  over  the  mill  bridge.  At  first  we  did  not 
know  her,  for  her  new  red  dress  with  the  black  stripes 
fairly  dazzled  our  eyes,  but  then  Lisette  said,  'That  is 
certainly  that  wild  Fanny.  What  does  she  want  here?' 
It  was  really  she,  and  she  came  dancing  up  to  us  on 
her  dainty  feet,  which  were  encased  in  snowy  stockings, 
and  little  shoes  fastened  over  her  instep.  She  wore  a 
black  cloak,  and  two  long  braids  of  just  as  black  hair 
hung  down  her  back;  her  face,  with  the  sparkling  eyes 
and  little  nose,  was  turned  to  Lisette  in  the  most 
friendly  fashion.  Now,  you  must  know,  Liesel,  that 
the  wild  Fanny  had  gone  with  us  to  confirmation,  and 
there  had  never  been  a  wilder  girl.  Gypsies  had  once 
left  her,  a  child  scarcely  eight  days  old,  behind  the 
churchyard  hedge,  and  she  grew  up  in  the  poorhouse. 
She  was  always  frivolous  and  lazy,  the  annoyance  of 
the  whole  region ;  but  she  pleased  the  baroness  when 
once  she  came  to  the  castle  with  a  basket  of  berries. 
'She  reminded  her  of  her  home,'  she  had  said,  and  so 
Fanny  entered  the  lady's  service,  and  went  about 
dressed  as  gayly  as  if  every  day  were  a  holiday. 

"  But  soon  we  heard  that  she  was  still  the  wild  Fanny ; 
so  many  strange  gentlemen  came  to  the  castle,  and 
Fanny  was  pretty — too  pretty — and  she  could  certainly 
have  found  a  nice  fellow  who  would  have  kissed  her  as 
his  honest  sweetheart;  but  she  was  as  bad  as  the  worst, 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  273 

and — God  be  thanked  that  there  is  still  chastity  and 
honor  among  us. 

"And  so,  then,  she  came  here.  In  her  little  ears 
hung  great  shining  gold  hoops,  and  she  had  a  ring  on 
the  hand,  too,  with  which  she  so  frequently  stroked  her 
snow-white  apron. 

"'Good  day! '  cried  she  to  us,  and  Lisette  answered, 
'Good  day!  '  and  asked,  'What  do  you  want,  Fanny? ' 

"'Oh,  mercy!  I  saw  mam'selle  sitting  here,  and 
wished  to  see  how  you  are.  You  need  not  be  ashamed 
of  me ;  we  were  confirmed  together  —  or  have  you 
grown  proud  ? ' 

"'No,'  replied  Lisette,  'I  am  not  proud>  but  when 
you  come  it  means  something.  Tell  me  quickly  what 
you  want ! ' 

"  'Nothing  at  all,  my  dear,'  replied  she,  and  acted  as 
if  offended.  'You  need  not  be  ashamed  of  me.  I  do 
not  beg  any  more.  I  have  my  bread,  and  more,  too,* 
and  with  that  she  laughed  so  that  all  her  white  teeth 
showed,  and  whirled  round  on  her  tiptoes  so  that  the 
red  dress  and  the  braids  flew  out.  'You  look  so  pale,' 
said  she,  then,  suddenly,  and  stared  at  Lisette's  face. 
'Are  you  crossed  in  love,  hey?' 

"Lisette  blushed  to  the  roots  of  her  hair.  'What 
does  it  matter  to  you  how  I  look?'  replied  she,  shortly, 
and  rose  so  quickly  that  the  fine  feathers  flew  from  her 
apron. 

"'Hey!'  said  Fanny,  joyously — 'hey!  how  they  fly! 
I  would  like  to  be  a  bird,  and  fly  until  I  came  to  my 
sweetheart ! '  And  at  that  she  sprung  up  and  laughed 
as  if  crazy. 

"All  at  once  I  saw  that  Li!«»«^te's  eyes  seemed  start- 
ing from  her  head,  and  that,  d«athly  pale,  she  clutched 
18 


274  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


at  her  heart  and  sunk  down  on  the  bench;  and  when 
my  eyes  followed  hers,  they  fell  on  a  little  gold  heart 
which  protruded  from  Fanny's  neckerchief,  and  quiv- 
ered on  a  little  gold  chain  at  all  the  girl's  mad  leaps. 

"'Almighty  God! '  screamed  Lisette;  but  then,  with 
one  bound,  she  stood  near  Fanny,  seized  her  by  the 
shoulder,  and  asked,  in  a  voice  that  went  through  one, 
so  full  of  shrill  anguish  was  it,  'Where  did  you  get  that 
heart,  Fanny  ? ' 

"  For  a  moment  all  was  still  after  this  question,  and 
the  two  looked  at  each  other.  Lisette  wished  to  read 
the  words  on  Fanny's  lips  with  her  great,  anxious 
eyes ;  and  Fanny  had  leaned  her  head  far  back,  and 
gazed  at  her  with  sparkling  eyes;  she  stood  there  with 
folded  arms,  and  gradually  her  mouth  took  on  a 
scornful  smile. 

"  'What  does  it  concern  you  ? '  she  asked,  and  tried  to 
free  herself. 

'"What  does  it  concern  me?  Oh,  heavens!  she  asks 
how  it  concerns  me!  Marie,  help  me!  '  cried  Lisette. 
*I  must  have  it  again;  it  is  mine — no,  his.  Oh,  God, 
I  gave  it  to  him! ' 

"I  came  nearer,  quite  stiff  with  fright.  'Give  the 
thing  here,  Fanny,'  said  L  'You  found  it,  did  you 
not  ? ' 

"'What  does  she  think,  then?'  cried  she,  and  shook 
off  Lisette's  hand,  which  lay  heavily  on  her  shoulder. 
'I  am  surprised  that  you  do  not  say  I  stole  it.  It  is 
my  property.  I  will  only  let  the  one  who  gave  it  to 
me  take  it  from  me,  and  now  do  not  touch  me.  I 
should  think  you  would  remember  that  I  can  scratch. ' 
She  drew  back,  her  hands  were  clinched,  then  she 
quickly  turned  to  go. 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


275 


"'Stop! '  cried  Lisette,  and  clutched  her  arm  again. 
'I  ask  you,  for  God's  sake,  who  gave  you  that  heart?' 
She  stood  drawn  up  to  her  full  height  before  the  girl, 
and  held  her  hand  up,  as  if  conjuring  her  to  speak. 
But  this  hand  shook,  and  a  perceptible  tremor  ran 
through  her  form.  I  will  never  forget  the  moment, 
Lieschen.  I  wished  to  go  to  her,  to  support  her,  but  I 
had  to  stand  and  look  at  her,  she  was  so  beautiful ;  a 
ray  of  the  autumn  sun  fell  through  the  bare  branches 
of  the  old  linden  upon  her  brown  hair,  so  that  it  really 
looked  like  a  halo;  and  she  stood  there  like  a  saint — 
like  an  angel  before  a 
lost  one. 

"  Fanny's  brown  face 
had  become  very  pale  as 
her  eyes  met  Lisette's, 
but  then  she  tore  herself 
away,  and  said,  'Why  do 
you  wish  to  know  ?  Did 
I  ever  ask  you  who  gave 
you  the  gold  ring  which 
you  kissed  in  the  arbor 
recently?  Yes,  yes,  I 
saw  that,'  laughed  she, 
'and  cannot  I  also  have 
secretly  a  lover  ?  Do  you 
think  because  you  are  the 
rich  rag-miller's  beauti- 
ful Lisette  that  the  wild 
Fanny  pleases  no  one?  Good  bye,  Lisette,  and  do  not 
act  so  surprised.  I  will  say  nothing  more. '  She  laughed 
mockingly,  and  ran  over  the  mill  bridge,  while  the  red 
^ress  in  the  dazzling  sunlight  fairly  blinded  one's  eyes. 


276  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"  But  Lisette  stood  there,  pale  and  rigid,  and  looked 
after  her;  and  when  I  went  to  her  and  wished  to  com- 
fort her,  she  hastily  pushed  me  back,  and  then  she  went 
upstairs  to  her  room.  I  did  not  know  what  to  do, 
child;  whether  I  should  follow  her  or  not.  My  heart 
beat  almost  to  bursting;  and  as  I  stood  there  Lisette's 
mother  came  and  gave  me  an  order,  and  scolded  be- 
cause the  feathers  were  so  scattered  over  the  place.  I 
did  what  she  told  me,  but  the  tears  fell  from  my  eyes 
as  I  thought  of  poor  Lisette's  great  grief.  Heavens! 
who  would  have  thought  it?  Was  it,  then,  really  true 
that  he  had  given  his  sweetheart's  keepsake  to  that  bad 
creature  ?  But,  really,  where  else  could  she  have  gotten 
it?  And  then,  the  light  for  three  evenings  in  succes- 
sion in  the  tower  room!  Oh,  mercy!  I  thought,  what 
will  happen  now?  And  as  soon  as  I  could  I  ran  up  to 
Lisette;  and  there  she  stood  at  the  window,  and  looked 
over  at  the  castle;  and  when  I  went  up  to  her,  and 
wished  to  put  my  arm  round  her,  she  said,  quite  softly: 

"  'Never  mind,  Marie.  Why  do  you  wish  to  comfort 
me?  Go  downstairs — only  go!  I  will  conquer  it 
alone.' 

"  I  shook  my  head  and  went.  I  could  scarcely  speak 
for  tears;  but,  just  as  I  was  closing  the  room  door,  she 
screamed  out  so  fearfully,  so  piercingly;  and  as  I  ran 
back,  startled,  she  shook  as  if  she  had  the  palsy,  and 
then  she  sunk  to  the  floor.  I  wished  to  raise  her,  but 
she  lay  as  heavy  in  my  arms  as  a  corpse,  and  her 
mother  came  hurrying  up  the  stairs  already,  and — oh, 
child,  how  can  I  describe  it  to  you!  It  seems  to  me 
like  a  strange,  horrible  dream.  Lisette  was  very  ill. 
The  doctor  gave  no  hope.  The  parents  were  inconsol- 
able, and  whoever  knew  her  mourned  with  them.     I  sat 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  277 

day  and  night  beside  her  bed,  and  listened  to  her  wild 
ravings;  and  then  she  talked  so  sweetly,  and  told 
something  to  her  lover,  so  that  my  heart  almost  stood 
still  with  pain.  Her  mother  first  learned  from  the  con- 
fused delirium  her  child's  happiness  and  pain.  I  must 
tell  her  all.  She  gave  a  long,  sorrowful  glance  at  the 
lovely  being  who  had  so  abruptly  been  hurled  from  her 
heaven.  But  the  father  raged  and  cursed  the  faithless 
one.     Only  Lisette's  brother  said: 

"'There  is  some  devilish  trickery  behind  this.  I 
know  Fritz;  there  is  not  a  false  hair  in  his  head.' 

"Ah,  child,  what  prayers  and  tears  there  were  in  the 
little  room  then.  We  wrung  our  hands  sore  for  the 
young  life,  but  the  dear  God  lets  his  hour  be  appointed 
by  no  one;  and  on  the  ninth  day,  just  when  the  sunset 
shone  with  such  a  golden  light,  its  glow  fell  upon  a 
pale  face,  and  the  blue  eyes  were  closed  forever.  So 
peacefully  she  lay  there,  so  quiet  and  far  from  all 
heartache.  But  I  threw  myself  down,  then,  and 
screamed  with  too  great  torture  and  pain " 

The  old  woman  hushed  and  wiped  her  eyes.  Lieschen 
had  hidden  her  head  in  her  apron,  and  sobbed  softly. 

"The  same  evening,"  continued  Auntie,  at  length, 
"  that  LIsette  died,  I  ran  in  the  garden,  just  as  they 
were  tolling  the  bell  for  her  down  in  the  village,  for  I 
could  not  stay  in  one  place;  and  as  I  stood  there,  all 
at  once  a  light  shone  out  from  the  tower.  I  was 
frightened,  and  then  my  tears  burst  forth  again,  for  she 
who  now  lay  there  so  quietly  could  never  again  see  it. 
And  so  I  leaned  against  the  wall  of  the  house,  and  cried 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  From  within,  I  heard 
the  miller's  steps  in  the  sitting-room — h«  walked  rest- 
lessly up  and  down — and  then  again  the  mother's  sobs, 


278  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

and  her  son's  comforting  words;  all  else  was  quiet 
around — as  quiet  as  death.  The  ringing  also  had 
ceased  now.  The  mill  wheels  had  been  motionless  all 
day,  and  the  girls  and  boys  over  there  in  the  house 
crept  around  as  softly,  and  only  whispered  to  each 
other,  as  if  they  did  not  wish  to  disturb  our  Lisette's 
rest. 

"And  then  all  at  once  I  heard  some  one  coming 
from  up  there — such  a  firm,  quick  step.  Heavens!  my 
Christian  ?  thought  I,  but  at  the  same  moment  some  one 
stepped  on  to  the  mill  bridge,  and  a  bold  voice  began 
to  troll  a  song  so  loudly  and  happily — it  went  through 
and  through  me.  Mercy!  it  was  Baron  Fritz's  voice. 
And,  before  I  could  prevent  it,  for  I  was  paralyzed 
with  fright,  he  went  into  the  house;  and  when  I  fol- 
lowed him  he  had  already  opened  the  room  door,  and 
stood  opposite  the  miller.  His  happy  face  and  spark- 
ling eyes  looked  in  every  corner  for  Lisette. 

"  The  mistress  sunk  back  in  her  chair  with  a  cry  of 
fright  when  she  saw  him,  but  the  miller  rushed  at  him, 
with  the  words: 

"  'Accursed  scoundrel,  will  you  mock  me  in  my  grief  ?' 
and  dragged  him  into  the  room. 

"  The  miller  was  a  furious  man,  but  Lisette's  brother 
sprung  between  the  two  strugglers,  and  cried: 

"  'First  ask  him  if  he  is  guilty,  father! ' 

"But  the  old  man  placed  himself  before  him,  and 
cried:  'Lisette!  You  probably  seek  Lisette,  Sir  Baron? 
She  lies  upstairs;  go  up  and  look  at  her!  '  Then  he 
clasped  his  hands  before  his  face  in  hot,  wild  agony. 

"  'Come,  Fritz,'  said  our  young  master,  and  drew  the 
frightened  fellow  into  the  adjoining  room.  'Come 
here!     I  will  tell  you  all  the  grief  that  has  burst  over 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


279 


us. '     And  then  the  door  closed  behind  them,   and    I 
remained  alone  with  the  weeping  parents. 

"  From  the  next  room  we  could  not  hear  a  word,  only 
once  a  groan  of   agony — that  was  all.      The  minutes 


passed  as  if  in  endless  pain.  I  sat  at  the  window  and 
looked  out  into  the  night;  but  suddenly  I  started  back, 
for,  outside,  a  face  had  pressed  itself  against  the  panes, 
and  a  pair  of  large  dark  eyes,  from  which  shone  fear 
knd.  terror,  looked  into  the  room,  and  then  beckoned 
with  her  hand,  and  the  face  had  disappeared.  I  had 
recognized  it — it  was  wild  Fanny's. 

'"God  help  us!'    thought  I,    'what   does  she  want 
again  ? '    But  I  went  softly  out,  and  there  she  stood,  and 


28o  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


clung  with  both  hands  to  the  posts  of  the  house  door, 
and  the  faint  reflection  of  the  lamp  in  the  hall  showed 
a  face  distorted  with  fear,  over  which  the  loosened 
black  hair  hung,  making  the  apparition  still  mor» 
startling.  She  trembled  so  that  she  could  scarcely 
Btand;  and  when  I  looked  at  her  questioningly  and 
surprised,  her  pale  lips  moved  without  a  word  coming 
from  them. 

"'Lisette, '  asked  she,  with  almost  suffocated  voice — 
*is  it  true  what  people  say?  Were  those  bells  ringing 
for  Lisette  ?  * 

"'She  lies  upstairs  in  eternal  sleep,'  replied  I. 

"'Almighty  God! '  screamed  the  girl;  'is  it  true — is 
it  really  true? '  And  then  she  sunk  back  and  clutched 
her  hand  in  her  wild  hair,  and  behaved  like  a  desper- 
ate one. 

"  At  that  moment  Baron  Fritz  came  out  of  the  next 
door,  behind  him  our  young  master,  who  carried  a 
light  in  his  hand.  He  was  pale  as  death,  and  his  eyes 
fairly  glowed  in  his  head.  Evidently  he  was  about  to 
go  up  to  the  chamber  of  death.  Then  his  eyes  fell  upon 
the  form  on  the  floor,  and  recognizing  her,  he  stopped. 

"'And  it  is  to  her  that  I  gave  my  love's  souvenir?' 
said  he  strangely  calmly,  while  his  eyes  rested  upon 
her  with  a  scornful  expression.  'Frederick,  do  you 
believe  that?  Speak,  you  creature,'  cried  he,  in  a 
trembling  voice.  'You  stole  the  gold  heart  which  I 
missed  at  the  last  moment  before  my  departure! ' 

"The  girl  raised  her  hands  to  him.  'No;  oh,  no* 
Sir  Baron.' 

"'Will  you  confess,  you  good-for-nothing  creature?' 
cried  he,  and  raised  the  riding-whip  which  he  held  in 
his  hand  to  strike. 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  281 

"'Strike  me,  sir,'  cried  she;  'I  deserve  it.  But  I  did 
not  steal  it — as  true  as  there  is  a  God,  I  did  not!  Some 
one  gave  it  to  me,  as  true  as  I  lie  here.  I  would  never 
have  hung  it  round  my  neck  in  fun  if  I  had  known  what 
would  happen. ' 

"Baron  Fritz  let  his  uplifted  arm  sink.  'Out  with 
you,'  cried  he,  and  pointed  to  the  door;  'you  shall,  at 
least,  not  disturb  the  peace  here  in  this  house  of  mourn- 
ing.    I  will  settle  with  you  yet.' 

"  She  rose.  'Have  pity,  sir! '  cried  she;  'forgive  me. 
I  am  a  vain,  stupid  thing,  but  I  am  not  bad.  Oh,  Sir 
Baron,  I  woi*ld  gladly  die  if  I  could  make  Lisette  alive 
again ! ' 

"She  looked  so  crushed,  so  really  miserable,  as  she 
stood  before  him,  her  hands  clasped,  with  her  tearful 
dark  eyes,  that  our  young  master  begged  Baron  Fritz : 
'Ask  her  who  commanded  her  to  hang  the  little  heart 
round  her  neck  in  fun!     Perhaps  she  will  say.' 

"  'Who  told  you  to  hang  the  gold  heart  round  your 
neck?'  repeated  the  baron  mechanically,  and  all  at 
once  something  like  a  suspicion  of  horror  shone  in  his 
eyes.  He  hastily  repeated  the  same  question,  as  the 
girl  did  not  move,  but  only  stared  at  him,  as  if  out  of 
her  mind. 

'"Tell  him,  Fanny,'  persuaded  the  young  gentleman. 
'Tell  him,  if  we  are  really  to  believe  that  you  did  not 
mean  any  harm  when  you ' 

'"No,  really,'  screamed  she;  'I  did  not  mean  any 
harm.  I  only  wanted  to  vex  Lisette,  because  she  was 
always  so  proud  to  me,  and  still  I  could  do  nothing  to 

her;  and  so  I  was  glad  when  she  told  me  I  should 

No,  I  will  not  betray  it — I  dare  not  betray  anything.' 

"  She  trembled  in  her  whole  frame. 


282  A  Maiden* s  Choice. 


"'Go,'  said  Baron  Fritz  suddenly.  'I  will  not  know 
it  now.     A  trick  has  been  played — a  devilish  trick!  ' 

"  He  pointed  outside  with  his  arm,  and  the  girl  ran, 
sobbing,  out  into  the  dark  night.  I  went  to  the  door, 
and  looked  after  her.  I  could  see  the  figure  flying  over 
the  mill  bridge,  and  then  she  disappeared  in  the  dark- 
ness. But  it  was  a  strange  night:  there  was  a  strange 
whistling  and  howling  through  the  air;  the  sky  was 
overcast,  not  a  single  star  was  visible,  and  the  branches 
of  the  old  linden  sighed  and  bent  under  the  violent 
gusts  of  wind.  It  had  grown  fairly  terrifying,  the 
night,  and  yet  I  stood  there.  When  such  a  sudden 
storm  approaches  we  say  a  desperate  human  being  has 
taken  its  own  life,  and  one  prays  for  the  poor  soul,  even 
if  one  does  not  know  who  it  may  be;  and  I  folded  my 
hands,  and  was  about  to  say  a  prayer,  when  it  suddenly 

occurred  to  me  in  my  fright — Suppose  Fanny At 

first  I  wanted  to  hurry  after  her;  then  I  stopped.  Why 
should  I  look  for  her? 

"  The  wind  pulled  and  tore  at  my  clothes,  and  rushed 
through  the  forest  so  that  its  howling  and  sighing  rose 
above  the  rushing  water,  and  again  and  again  rang  in 
my  ears  what  Baron  Fritz  had  just  said  so  calmly:  'A 
trick  has  been  played — a  devilish  trick!'  No,  cer- 
tainly Baron  Fritz  was  innocent ;  but  who And  then 

like  a  flash  rose  to  my  mind  the  image  of  the  beautiful 
mistress  of  the  castle.  I  shook  my  head;  what  did 
that  mean  ?  But  persistently  those  proud,  arrogant 
features  again  appeared  before  my  eyes,  and  a  long 
line  of  thoughts  and  possibilities  with  them.  ' 

"  In  the  room,  the  miller's  restless  walking  up  and 
down  had  begun  again,  and  again  were  heard  the 
mother's  sobs,  the  son's  words  of  comfort — but  where 


A  Matdeti's  Choice. 


283 


was  Baron  Fritz ?  Still  upstairs  beside  the  deathbed? 
Down  in  the  village  it  struck  ten  o'clock;  then  I  heard 
a  step  coming  down  the  stairs,  as  slowly  and  hesitat- 
ingly as  if  it  were  an  old  man.  I  looked  into  the  hall ; 
there  he  stood  by  the  stairs.  He  looked  pale  as  a 
corpse — his  handsome,  merry  face  was  scarcely  recog- 


nizable. He  glanced  up  once  more,  and  then  slowly 
walked  to  the  sitting-room,  where  he  stood  close  before 
it;  he  shuddered,  turned  quickly  round,  and  went  past 
me  without  seeing  me  into  the  gloomy  night,  like  a 
poor,  crushed  man.  It  was  the  last  time  I  ever  saw 
him.  They  say  he  led  a  wild,  mad  life — how  his  heart 
must  have  cried  out  with  grief!     He  never  came  to 


284  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


Derenberg  again,  and  now  he  is  probably  long  dead. 
May  God  grant  him  peace! 

"But  the  wild  Fanny  had  disappeared  also — no  one 
knew  where.  And  in  the  castle  and  the  village  they 
all  said  that  the  young  baron  had  gone  away  with 
her,  and  even  I  doubted  his  fidelity  once.  But  when 
Lisette  was  buried,  one  evening  I  went  with  my  Chris- 
tian to  her  grave  in  the  churchyard;  and  as  I  stood 
there  and  cried,  and  straightened  all  the  wreaths  which 
the  people  had  sent.  Christian  said,  'See,  Marie,  there 
lies  something  white,  like  a  note,'  and  truly;  and 
there  was  a  little  stone  laid  on  it,  so  that  it  should  not 
blow  away,  and  when  I  unfolded  it,  there  stood,  in 
great,  awkward  letters:  'It  is  not  true  what  they  say; 
he  never  looked  at  me.  I  do  not  know  where  he  is, 
nor  he  where  I  am.  I  will  never  see  one  of  you  again. 
You  think  too  badly  of  me.  I  wore  the  gold  heart  be- 
cause my  mistress  commanded  me.  She  said  it  was 
only  for  a  joke  on  Lisette.  Sanna  was  there — you 
can  ask  her.  May  God  forgive  me!  I  did  not  mean 
any  harm.  Franziska.  ' 

"That  had  she  done  so  that  the  rag-miller's  Lisette 
should  not  come  into  her  proud  family;  and,  child" — 
the  old  woman  softly  stroked  the  hair  of  the  deeply 
shocked  girl  at  her  feet — "  you,  our  only  one,  do  not  do 
this  to  yourself  and  to  us;  let  us  not  experience  such 
unhappiness  a  second  time.  See,  my  poor  heart, 
although  I  am  bitterly  grieved  for  you,  I  can  only  tell 
you  one  thing:  try  to  forget  what  you  have  to-day 
experienced." 

The  young  girl  shook  her  head.  "  No,  no,  Auntie," 
said  she,  anxiously;  "you  cannot  mean  that.  How 
could  I  ever  forget  it  ?     The  story  of  Aunt  Lisette  is 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  285 

very  sad,  but  when  I  have  told  it  to  Army  he  will  be 
warned.  Be  compassionate,  Auntie,  and  do  not  dis- 
suade me,"  she  added,  after  a  short  time,  rousing  to 
passion,  while  she  embraced  the  old  woman's  knees. 
"We  love  each  other  so  dearly — so  dearly!  Help  us 
to  be  happy.  Tell  father  and  mother,  and  persuade 
them — will  you  not?  You  will,  dear,  good  Auntie, 
will  you  not?"  And  the  tortured  girl's  moist  eyes 
looked  up  at  her  pleadingly. 

"  My  God !  "  thought  the  old  woman,  "  it  has  been 
no  use.  It  is  just  as  it  always  is  with  love,  which  will 
never  be  wise  except  to  its  own  detriment;  and  yet  he 
does  not  love  her — it  is  not  true.  If  I  only  had  the 
heart  to  tell  her  that! — and  Frederick  will  never 
consent " 

"Will  you  speak  to  my  parents,  Auntie?"  she  whis- 
pered, so  sadly,  and  at  the  same  time  coaxingly. 

"Yes,  my  heart!  I  see  it  is  no  use;  but  only  sleep 
quietly  to-night!     To-morrow — to-morrow " 

"No,  no;  now,  at  once!  He  is  coming  to-morrow," 
begged  she.  "  Father  must  think  overnight  what  he 
will  say  to  him — please,  please.  Auntie!" 

"You  are  right,  my  child;  it  is  better  at  once,"  said 
the  old  woman,  and  her  voice  sounded  so  strangely 
constrained.  "Let  me  get  up!  I  will  go  downstairs, 
but  you  sleep  calmly.  To-morrow  morning  is  time 
enough  for  you  to  hear  what  they  say,  my  darling." 

"Oh,  heavens!  how  can  I  sleep,  Auntie?"  cried  she, 
springing  up,  and  laid  her  little  trembling  hand  on  the 
old  woman's  shoulder. 

The  latter  did  not  answer;  she  hastily  opened  the 
door  and  went  out.  Lieschen  followed  her  into  the 
dim  hall,  and  bent  over  the  banisters.     Auntie  went 


i86  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


down  the  broad,  curving  stairs — but  how  slowly  she 
went!  Usually  the  old  feet  could  trip  down  so  briskly; 
to-day  they  scarcely  moved.  Slowly,  slowly,  step  by 
step,  they  went;  the  stairs  creaked  under  the  heavy 
tread,  and  her  hands  clung  so  tightly  to  the  carved 
banister.  And  now  the  figure  vanished  from  Lieschen's 
sight ;  the  feet  walking  so  slowly  over  the  stone-floored 
hall  sounded  in  her  ear ;  and  now — now — that  was  the 
door  of  the  sitting-room;  now  she  stood  before  the 
father  and  mother. 

"Can  I  hear  the  conversation  up  here?  What  will 
they  say  ?  " 

She  stood  there,  breathless,  leaning  over  the  railing. 
She  could  not  hear  a  sound,  except,  once  or  twice,  she 
heard  Dorte's  voice  singing  softly  to  herself,  and  the 
rattle  of  plates  and  dishes  in  the  kitchen — then  all  was 
quiet  as  before. 

But  now — that  was  her  father.  Is  he  angry  ?  He 
spoke  so  loudly,  and  now  Auntie.  Lieschen's  heart 
began  to  beat  violently ;  she  pressed  both  hands  to  it. 
"  What  if  papa  does  not  consent  ?  But  that  is  impossible, 
purely  impossible;  it  is  Army  who  loves  her."  That 
was  a  confusion  of  voices  down  there — now  Auntie's 
voice,  which  sounded  so  pacifying,  and  now  the  father 
again;  it  sounded  so  plainly,  and  rang  in  her  ears 
deafeningly : 

"  No,  no — a  thousand  times  no,  I  say;  and  if  you  all 
lay  on  your  knees  before  me.  I  know  what  I  have 
to  do." 

For  a  moment  the  large  blue  eyes  looked  into  space, 
as  if  not  comprehending;  then  she  flew  down  the  stairs, 
and  in  the  next  moment  she  stood  in  the  middle  of  the 
sitting-room;  a  glowing  blush  flew  over  her  face,  which 


A  MaiderCs  Choice.  287 

was  succeeded  by  deep  pallor.  "Father!"  said  she 
imploringly. 

He  stood  and  looked  at  her;  a  little  blue  vein  stood 
out  on  his  broad,  white  forehead.  She  knew  it  well, 
this  token  of  the  greatest  excitement  in  him,  and  his 
eyes  fairly  flashed  lightning  at  her.  But  Auntie  had 
such  a  deeply  troubled  face  as  she  now  came  up  to  the 
young  girl.    "Come,  Liesel;  go  upstairs!" 

"  No,  Auntie,  let  me  stay.  I  will  know  what  father 
says. " 

"What  father  says?"  his  voice  rang  in  her  ear. 
"  He  says  that  you  are  a  foolish,  stupid  thing,  who  has 
been  allowed  too  much  freedom  and  her  own  way  too 
much;  but  what  has  been  neglected  will  be  made  up 
for  now,  you  may  depend  upon  it!  " 

"Frederick!  Frederick!  "  begged  Auntie. 

"Do  you  believe  that  you  can  persuade  me? "he 
burst  out.  "  Until  now  I  have  always  yielded  to  your 
wishes,  whatever  they  were — that  we  see  now.  I  repeat 
to  you,  this  time  it  shall  be  as  I  wish." 

"That  is,  I  shall  not  be  Army's  bride,  father?"  She 
suddenly  stood  close  before  him,  and  looked  at  him 
fixedly. 

"  No,  my  child,  for  your  own  good." 

"I  love  him  so,  father!  "  She  lowered  her  eyes,  and 
again  the  glowing  blush  covered  her  face. 

"You?  So!  but  that  is  not  enough  for  me.  I  desire 
of  my  future  son-in-law  that  he  offer  my  daughter  a 
whole  heart  full  of  love.  I  will  never  consent  to  her 
being  married  as  a  speculation,  do  you  understand  ? " 

"Frederick!  Frederick!"  cried  the  old  woman,  and 
threw  her  arm  round  the  young  girl,  who  stood  there 
before  her  father,  as  pale  as  death. 


288 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"  As  a  speculation  ? "  asked  she,  and  passed  her  hand 
over  her  temples. 

"  Not  another  word,   Frederick !  "     The  old  woman 


gave  the  tall  man  such  an  imperative  glance  that  the 
already  opened  mouth  was  silent,  and  he  slowly  turned 
away. 

"I  do  not  know  what  you  mean,  father,"  said  the 
young  girl  softly,  and  went  close  up  to  him.  "  Per- 
haps you  think  that  Army  does  not  love  me;  that  is 
possible;  but  even  if  he  really  does  not  love  me  as  I 
love  him,  that  need  not  be  considered.     I  know  that  he 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  289 


longs  for  a  heart  that  understands  him — know  that  life 
will  only  have  value  for  him  when  he " 

"  Has  paid  his  debts,  my  child.  Hush  your  senti- 
mental nonsense.  You  will  be  my  good,  sensible 
little  daughter,  who  trusts  her  father  with  enough  expe- 
rience and  knowledge  of  human  nature  to  know  how  to 
act  in  this  case.  See,  you  are  excited,  and  your  hand 
trembles.     Go  to  bed!" 

"  Auntie!"  The  young  girl  turned  to  the  old  woman. 
"Auntie,  do  you  believe  that  of  Army — that  he  only 
wishes  me  for  such  reasons?  You  know  him  better 
than  that,  do  you  not-? " 

They  sounded  so  calm,  so  convincing,  these  words, 
that  tears  sprung  to  the  old  woman's  eyes. 

"  Come,  come,  my  Liesel !  "  whispered  she.  "  Father 
is  angry  and  excited;  to-morrow  he  will  be  calmer." 

"No,  no.  Auntie;  you  must  tell  father  what  you 
think.      He  thinks  so  much  of  your  opinion." 

The  old  woman  stood  there  in  the  most  painful  em- 
barrassment— tears  ran  over  her  furrowed  cheeks,  and 
her  hands  pulled  at  her  apron  hem. 

"You  also  believe,  Auntie "     It  sounded  like  a 

cry,  but  there  were  no  tears  in  Lieschen's  eyes  yet. 

"  Father,  I  know  that  it  is  not  so;  it  is  not  possible — 
no,  it  is  not  possible " 

"I  understand  your  pain,  Lieschen,"  said  he,  more 
calmly;  "but  how  can  you  be  so  foolish,  and  believe 
in  a  suddenly  awakened  fancy?  You  are  usually  such 
a  sensible,  clever  girl.  See,  he  has  known  you  a  long 
time,  and  yet  prefers  a  stranger  to  you.  He  never 
thought  of  loving  you,  of  marrying  you.  It  was  child- 
ish play  which  brought  you  together  formerly,  nothing 

else;  and  now — now,  when  he  does  not  know  what  to 
19 


2gc>  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


do,  he  remembers  the  little  girl  who  has  money  indeed, 
and  desires  her  hand,  in  order  to  save  himself;  and  she 
is  so  foolish  that  she  takes  this  for  love.  Must  I  appeal 
to  your  maidenly  pride,  Lieschen?" 

She  did  not  answer;  her  eyes  looked  at  her  father 
with  an  almost  confused  expression. 

"Nelly's  mother  was  just  such  a  sacrifice,  my  child! 
Has  she  ever  seemed  enviable  to  you  ?  Must  she  not 
always  have  seemed  to  herself  boundlessly  humiliated 
opposite  her  husband,  who  only  looked  upon  her  as  a 
burdensome  addition  to  her  wealth?  Because  he  did 
not  love  his  wife,  he  led  a  wild,  dissolute  life;  and 
when  her  dowry  was  squandered,  he  shot  himself — is 
not  that  nameless  misery?  Lieschen,  child,  and  would 
you  ask  me  to  let  you  plunge  into  such  an  abyss?  The 
proud  grandmother  up  there,  who  already  has  once 
fought  by  every  means  against  an  alliance  between  our 
house  and  hers;  she  who  has  always  been  hostile  to  us — 
she  alone  would  be  a  reason  for  refusing  my  consent. 
How  would  she  treat  you,  even  if,  forced  by  necessity, 
she  gave  her  consent  ?  And  how  would  you  bear  it 
without  the  protection  of  your  husband's  love?" 

Then  Lieschen's  clasped  hands  loosened ;  she  clutched 
at  the  table  by  which  she  stood;  her  pale  lips  moved 
slightly,  as  if  she  wished  to  speak,  but  no  sound  came 
from  them — only  the  cups  on  the  table  rattled  from 
the  girl's  violent  trembling. 

"Liesel!  For  God's  sake!"  cried  Auntie,  and  put 
her  arm  round  her,  but  she  freed  herself. 

"I  thank  you,  father,"  said  she  dully;  "I — I  will 
obey  you."  She  turned  and  walked  slowly  to  the  door. 
Everything  whirled  before  her  eyes;  she  heard  Auntie's 
voice,  then  the  door  closed  behind  her.     She  tottered 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  291 

up  the  stairs;  she  must  rest  heavily  upon  the  banisters; 
and  at  last,  at"\last,  she  was  in  her  little  room,  and 
sunk  on  the  low  sofa. 

Her  mother  came  up  and  stroked  her  cheeks,  and 
called  her  her  good,  sensible  child,  who  would  yet  be 
very  happy  again.  Auntie  sat  beside  her  and  cried 
silently,  and  occasionally  a  kind  word  of  consolation 
came  from  her  lips.  Lieschen  heard  all  as  if  at  a  great 
distance;  only  one  thing  echoed  plainly  and  loudly  in 
her  heart:  "He  does  not  love  me;  he  only  wished  me 
for  my  earthly  possessions — from  need. "  Was  it,  then, 
really  only  a  few  hours  ago  that  she  had  stood  under 
the  old  linden,  her  head  leaning  on  his  breast,  and  had 
listened  to  the  words  which  he  whispered  to  her?  Was 
it  not  already  an  eternity,  a  long  eternity;  and  did 
not  a  whole  sea  of  misery  and  woe  lie  between  then 
and  now? 

She  groaned,  and  pressed  her  hands  to  her  heart. 
Ah,  her  short  happiness,  her  sweet  dream  of  love — 
over,  over  forever!  The  blood  rushed  hotly  to  her 
cheeks  as  she  thought  how  she  had  so  confidentially 
confessed  to  him  how  dearly  she  loved  him.  It  was 
wholly  indifferent  to  him,  could  be  perfectly  indifferent 
to  him.  He  did  not  wish  her  love,  he  wished  her 
money.  Where  could  she  hide  herself  so  that  no  one 
should  see  her?  She  closed  her  eyes  and  thought: 
When  he  comes,  and  her  father  refuses  his  offer.  The 
proud,  handsome  face,  how  would  it  look  at  that 
moment?  "And  then  he  will  go,"  she  thought.  She 
mentally  saw  him  come  out  of  her  father's  room  and 
cross  the  hall,  his  tall  figure  proudly  drawn  up.  He 
will  not  turn  and  look  at  her  windows.  He  will  go — 
go,   never  to  return  again.      She  will    never  see  him 


292  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


again — what   bitter,    harsh  words!    words  which    con- 
ceal nameless  woe! 

"Ah,  Auntie!"  she  groaned,  in  her  misery,  and  the 
old  woman  bent  down  to  her. 

"  Weep  yourself  out,  my  heart — weep  yourself  out. 
You  will  feel  better  after  it." 

"Ah,  if  to-morrow  were  only  over!"  whispered  she. 

"The  hardest  hours  pass,  if  one  can  only  pray." 

"I  cannot  pray.  Auntie — I  cannot." 

And  the  night  passed,  and  the  day  dawned  on  which 
he  was  to  speak  to  her  father.  This  morning  Lieschen's 
face  wore  an  unnaturally  calm  look — only  her  eyes 
glowed  feverishly.  She  did  her  little  duties  about  the 
house  as  usual,  and  then  she  sat  in  her  room  and  took 
a  book.  Auntie  came  up  and  began  to  talk  pleasantly 
of  indifferent  things.  She  listened  and  answered,  and 
then  the  old  woman  went  away  again  to  attend  to  her 
household  duties.  The  hand  of  the  clock  moved 
steadily  on,  and  now  it  stood  at  eleven;  all  at  once  a 
deep  blush  rose  to  her  face.  She  had  recognized  his 
step  in  the  hall,  and  now  she  heard  her  father's  voice. 
She  made  a  movement  as  if  she  would  hurry  to  the 
door,  but  then  s-he  lowered  her  eyes  to  the  book  again ; 
the  leaves  trembled  beneath  her  hand.  Was  it  not 
wrong  in  her  to  let  him  go  into  a  wild  life  without 
restraint  ?  She  could  have  saved  him  from  necessity 
and  disgrace;  he  was  her  good  old  playmate,  Army, 
and  now  there  is  still  time;  all  may  yet  be  well! 

She  ran  out  of  the  room  to  the  stairs;  then  she 
stopped.  "Ah,  no,  she  had  forgotten  —  he  did  not 
love  her;  again  she  must  call  upon  her  maidenly  pride, 
which  had  fled  before  the  old  passionate  love.  How 
long  he  stayed  with  her  father !  Hark !  the  door  opened — 


A  Maiden' s  Choice. 


293 


was  that  Army?  She  bent  over  the  railing;  he  just 
then  crossed  the  hall — she  saw  his  dark  hair  underneath 
the  cap;  how  upright  he  walked!  Her  heart  beat 
loudly  and  heavily.  The  recollection  of  yesterday 
overcame  her  with  all  its  warmth,  its  bliss;  and  now, 
now  he  seized  the  door-knob — if  it  closed  again  then 
all  was  over — forever — beyond  help.  "Army!"  cried 
she  suddenly,  and  flew  down  the  stairs;  but  just  then 
the  heavy  oak  door  closed,  and  the  knocker  rang  loudly 
through  the  lofty  hall.     "Army!"  she  repeated  softly, 


and  stretched  out  her  arms ;  hot  tears  rose  to  her  eyes, 
and  slowly  she  went  up  to  her  little  room  again.  Gone 
beyond  help!  How  desolate  the  world  had  become — 
how  boundlessly  desolate! 


XVI. 

The  old  baroness  sat  by  the  fire  in  her  room  and 
waited^  in  nervous  impatience,  for  the  appearance  of 
her  grandson.  Three  times  already  had  Sanna  been 
downstairs  to  the  ladies,  and  had  asked  for  him ;  and 
each  time  she  had  returned  to  her  mistress  with  the 
message  that  the  lieutenant  had  not  yet  returned  from 
his  walk. 

"God  help  me!  "  complained  the  old  lady,  and  went 
to  the  window.  "What  will  become  of  him?  What 
will  become  of  us?  There  he  goes  to  walk  with  the 
utmost  calmness,  without  thinking  of  how  he  can  pre- 
vent the  disaster;  he  really  has  not  a  drop  of  my  blood 
in  his  veins — orribile!" 

The  large  park,  in  silent,  cold  winter  splendor,  lay 
before  her  eyes;  the  noon  sun  shone  upon  the  snow- 
covered  trees  and  lit  up  the  white  place  before  the 
house  dazzlingly.  The  stillness  and  solitude  of  death 
around  her;  not  a  living  being  far  or  near!  At  most, 
a  few  hungry  birds  on  the  bare  branches.  And  now 
for  years  it  had  been  thus  solitary  and  deserted  around 
the  old  castle.  Involuntarily  she  shuddered  as  to-day 
it  again  struck  fearfully  upon  her  heart.  "  Why  then  ?  " 
she  asked  herself.  She  was  accustomed  to  live  so  for- 
gotten. Was  it  because,  in  the  last  few  days,  she  had 
thought  so  much  of  the  long  past — gay,  pleasure-filled 
times  ?    Or  was  it  because  she  had  so  trusted  that  there 


A  Maiden* s  Choice.  295 


would  again  be  brilliant,  rich  life  here,  whose  central 
point  she  would  be  ?  And  now  must  she  continue  to 
exist  in  the  same  inconsolable  manner — perhaps  even 

worse,    if  the  Duke  of  B did  not  fulfil  her  wish  ? 

But  no,  that  was  impossible;  he  will  do  it — he  must. 
She  needed  money.  "Oh,  heavens,  if  he  does  not!" 
She  clinched  her  delicate  hands.  "Oh,  that  serpent, 
that  Blanche !  "  whispered  she,  and  her  large  eyes  flashed 
moodily.  Her  features  did  not  clear  when,  at  this 
moment,  the  red  curtains  parted  and  Army  entered  the 
room. 

"Are  you  really  back  from  your  walk,  already?" 
asked  she  ironically. 

"  I  have  not  been  for  a  walk,"  replied  he,  apparently 
calmly;  but  the  old  lady  had  noticed  the  deeply  excited 
sound  of  his  voice.  She  rested  her  eyes  penetratingly 
upon  him. 

"  Not  ?  Where  were  you,  then  ?  I  have  already  asked 
for  you  three  or  four  times.  In  any  case,  a  conversa- 
tion between  us  is  more  necessary  than  what  you  have 
been  doing.  But  it  is  never  otherwise.  You  possess 
your  mother's  character;  you  are  intolerably  indolent." 

"  On  the  contrary,  grandmamma,  I  have  just  tried  to 
follow  one  of  your  counsels.  Unfortunately,  the  ex- 
periment failed  completely."  He  passed  his  handker- 
chief over  his  heated  face  and  threw  his  cap  on  the 
nearest  table. 

"  What  ? "  said  she.  "  I  do  not  understand — one  of 
my  counsels?" 

"Certainly.  I  wished — I  have  just  tried  to  make  a 
wealthy  marriage;  but,  as  I  said " 

The  baroness  took  a  step  back  and  stared  at  him. 

"  You  are  astonished,  grandmamma.     That  is  natural. 


296  A  Maiden  s  Choice. 


I  wondered  myself,  this  morning,  that  the  thought  had 
never  occurred  to  you.  Now,  to  be  sure,  I  suspect  that 
nothing  could  be  further  from  your  thoughts  than  a 
marriage  between  me  and  Lieschen  Erving. " 

"  I  think  you  are  mad,  Army." 

"Why,  then?  Good  heavens!  you  yourself  advised 
me  to  save  myself  by  a  wealthy  marriage,  and  she  is 
wealthy  enough,  the  little  one — nothing  else  is  required, 
in  your  opinion." 

"I  will  never  consent,"  cried  the  old  lady,  beside 
herself.  "Is  it  possible  to  conceive  such  an  idea? 
This  unbearable  creature — your  wife?  It  is  fairly 
shocking." 

"  I  already  told  you,  grandmamma,  that  the  experi- 
ment did  not  succeed,"  said  he  calmly.  His  face  had 
suddenly  become  pale;  he  threw  back  his  head,  and 
one  hand  played  with  his  black  moustache.  "  I  was  re- 
fused, grandmamma — a  plain,  honest  refusal — but  now 
I  must  ask  you  not  to  speak  of  indolence  agaip."  It 
sounded  careless  the  way  he  uttered  these  words;  and 
yet  a  deeply  wounded  self-respect  trembled  therein. 

"  A  refusal  ?"  asked  she,  surprised  and  incredulous. 
"A  refusal,  did  you  say.  Army?" 

"Yes,  indeed.  Mr.  Erving  first  declared  to  me  that 
he  demanded  for  his  child  a  husband  who  loved  her; 
he  did  not  wish  to  know  that  she  was  considered  as  a 
burdensome  addition  to  her  money.  That  was  plain, 
was  it  not?  I  cannot  be  vexed  with  the  man.  I 
seemed  to  myself,  as  I  stood  there  before  him,  more 
devilishly  despicable  than  ever  before  in  my  life." 

The  grandmother  turned  her  back  to  him,  shrugging 
her  shoulders.  "Ideal  phrases,"  said  she.  "Among 
a  thousand  marriages,  scarcely  one  is  concluded  from 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  297 

other  reasons.  I  must  confess,  frankly,  I  am  surprised 
that  Mr. — Mr.  Erving  gave  you  such  a  decision.  This 
kind  of  people  gladly  pay  three  times  your  debts  if  by 
that  their  daughter  becomes  Madame  la  Baronesse. 
There  certainly  must  be  some  hidden  reason."  She 
seated  herself  in  her  arm-chair  by  the  fire,  and  tried  to 
gaze  indifferently  into  the  flames. 

"  You  are  quite  right,  grandmamma — there  is  some 
other  hidden  reason.  I  indeed  told  her  father  that  I 
would  try,  honestly  try,  to  cherish,  protect,  and  guard 
Lieschen,  as  only  a  husband  could;  and  that  was  no  lie, 
but  my  honest  intention." 

"Really?"  asked  she  ironically. 

He  flushed  deeply  "  Really!  "  he  replied.  "  Or  do 
you,  perhaps,  think  that  I  would  let  the  girl  who  con- 
fidingly gave  me  her  hand  feel  that  it  was  not  love 
which  led  me  to  her?  Above  all  things,  when  such  a 
warm,  childishly  pure  heart  was  given  to  me  as  hers?" 

"Oh,  listen!  When  did  you  make  such  studies  of 
the  heart  ? " 

"  You  forget,  grandmamma,  that  we  grew  up  together, 
and  that  of  late  I  have  often  enough  had  opportunity 
to  see  her — she  took  care  of  mamma  for  weeks  in  the 
autumn " 

"  Have  you  perhaps  fallen  in  love  with  the  pitying 
sister?  In  truth,  the  Germans  find  a  woman  never 
more  charming  and  bewitching  than  in  the  nursery  or 
at  the  sick-bed.  In  any  case,  it  was  new  for  you,  and 
quite  a  piquant  contrast  to  Blanche." 

The  young  man's  forehead  contracted  gloomily. 
"I  beg  you,  grandmamma,  leave  that  subject,"  said  he; 
"  it  is  perfectly  useless  to  draw  comparisons  here;  but — 
we  have  quite  left  the  thread  of  our  conversation.     You 


298 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


said  there  was  some  particular  reason  why  I  did  not 
receive  Lieschen's  hand.  Now,  then,  this  particular 
reason — you  will  excuse  me  for  speaking  so  abruptly — 


these  particular  reasons  are  the  experiences  which  they 
once  had  down  there  in  the  mill  in  a  similar  affair — 
bitter,  hard  experiences,  which  banished  happiness  for 
a  long  time  from  the  old  house.  I  shall  endeavor  to 
bring  light  upon  this  affair." 

The  young  officer  had  spoken  the  last  words  loudly 
and  plainly,  and  his  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  proud 
face  opposite  him.  It  seemed  to  him  that  it  paled  a 
shade,  but  not  a  feature  changed. 

"  It  is  of  no  importance  what  reasons  induced  the 
miller  to  refuse  you,"  was  the  sharp  answer,     "I  do 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  299 

not  know  his  family  chronicle,  and  any  reason  is  wel- 
come to  me,  for  I  should  now,  once  and  for  all,  never 
give  my  consent  to  this  insane  project." 

"  Then  I  should  have  been  forced  to  marry  without 
it,"  said  he  calmly.  "You  understand  that  one  does 
not  play  with  such  things.  I  gave  the  girl  my  word; 
she  gave  me  her  consent ;  and  that  is  enough.  It  would 
then  only  be  otherwise  if  she  had  herself  refused.  But 
I  am  convinced  that  I  would  still  have  obtained  her 
hand  had  not  those  unfortunate  occurrences  stood  be- 
tween. The  parents  would  not  let  their  child  enter  the 
house  in  which  resides  their  old  enemy — you,  grand- 
mamma! " 

"  I !  "  The  baroness  sprung  angrily  up.  "  Absurd !  " 
said  she  then,  and  sunk  back  into  her  arm-chair  again. 
"  The  people  are  in  the  highest  degree  indifferent  to  me. 
Until  to-day " 

"You  cannot  bear  the  girl,"  he  insisted. 

"No;  because  I  consider  it  highly  unsuitable  for  her 
to  associate  with  Nelly  as  her  equal." 

For  a  while  there  was  silence  in  the  room.  The  old 
lady  breathed  as  if  relieved.  The  anxious  expression 
which  during  her  grandson's  last  speeches  her  face  had 
worn  disappeared  and  she  glanced  over  at  him  quite 
pleasantly. 

"  I  wished  to  speak  with  you.  Army,"  said  she  at  last. 
"We  must  consider  together.  I  have  written  to  the 
duke,  and  am  convinced  that  the  money  will  come. 
I  am  obliged  to  keep  a  part  of  it  for  myself;  the  rest 
is  for  you.  Let  us  hope  that  it  will  suffice  to  satisfy 
the  worst  creditors.  But  what  then  ?  And,  above  all 
things,  what  if  the  assistance,  contrary  to  all  expecta- 
tion, should  be  withheld  ? " 


300  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


He  did  not  at  once  answer.  The  frown  upon  his 
forehead  had  grown  deeper.  "I  do  not  believe  in  the 
duke's  readiness,"  said  he,  then,  gloomily;  "and  even 
so,  it  is  but  a  drop  on  a  hot  stone.  What  shall  I  do? 
Nothing  else  remains  for  me  but — America." 

Then  he  suddenly  felt  his  shoulder  clutched,  and 
the  deathly  pale  face  of  his  mother  bent  over  him. 
"Army!"  asked  she  breathlessly,  "what  did  you  say? 
You  wish  to  go  away  ? " 

He  started,  and  seized  her  hand;  he  wished  to  soothe 
her,  but  the  terrified,  tearful  eyes  rested  so  piercingly 
upon  his  face  —  he  let  the  hand  fall  and  turned 
away. 

"Cornelia,  you  know  that  I  cannot  bear  these  inau- 
dible, sudden  entrances,"  scolded  the  old  lady;  but  the 
other  did  not  hear  her — her  heart  almost  stopped  at  the 
fearful  word,  America. 

"Almighty  God!  Is  there,  then,  no  one  who  can 
help  us?  Army,  I  shall  die  if  you  go  away!  "  pleaded 
she,  and  held  out  her  clasped  hands  to  him.  "  That  is 
the  last — the  worst," 

"  Do  not  cry,  do  not  worry  yourself,  mamma!  "  said 
he,  without  looking  at  her.     "  I — I  will  stay " 

"No,  no;  I  know  what  you  will  do,"  cried  she. 
"You  will  go  away  secretly,  without  taking  leave. 
One  morning  I  will  awaken  and  no  longer  have  a  son. 
Army,  can  you  do  that  ?  Can  you  go  away,  when  you 
know  you  will  never  see  me  again?"  The  grief  was 
piercing  and  heart-rending  in  these  words. 

"  It  would  not  be  forever,"  said  he,  hesitatingly  "  I 
woud  come  back  again  some  day;  we  would  write  to 
each  other;  it " 

She  let  her  arms  sink.      "  I  should  have  tortured  my- 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  301 


self  to  death  meanwhile,"  whispered  she,  and  two  large 
tears  rolled  over  her  cheeks. 

The  old  lady  rose  and  walked  impatiently  through 
the  room.  Army  remained  motionless.  "Mamma," 
begged  the  pale  woman,  and  clutched  her  mother-in- 
law's  hands,  "  have  you,  then,  no  counsel  ?  Is  there  no 
other  way?     Do  not  let  him  go;  I  cannot  bear  it!  " 

The  young  man  suddenly  passed  his  hand  through 
his  hair  with  a  violent  gesture.  "Confound  it!  "  cried 
he;  "I  beg  you,  mamma,  do  not  make  the  matter  still 
worse  by  your  complaints.  Pray  consider.  I  have 
enormous  debts — that  is  one  fact.  Pay  them,  I  cannot — 
that  is  the  other  fact.  I  have  tried  everything  pos- 
sible to  find  an  outlet — it  was  in  vain.  The  affairs  are 
to  come  up  for  protest  at  New  Year's;  there  are  prom- 
issory notes  among  them.  I  am  sure  of  being  arrested — 
I  can  no  longer  remain  in  the  service — what  else  is 
left  me?  Do  you  think  it  is  a  pleasant  thought? 
Certainly  not.  But,  as  I  said,  do  not  cry  and  com- 
plain. The  little  bit  of  miserable  life  is  really  not 
worth  a  tear."  He  walked  hastily  out  of  the  room,  and 
slammed  the  door  behind  him. 

For  a  moment  he  hesitated;  it  seemed  to  him  that  he 
heard  a  scream  from  his  mother;  then  walking  on,  he 
drew  a  letter  from  the  pocket  of  his  uniform,  and 
opened  it.  "It  is  true;  the  game  is  up! "  whispered 
he,  scanning  the  lines.  He  went  to  his  room  and 
threw  himself  in  a  chair  before  the  fire. 

This  morning  a  ray  of  hope  had  once  more  beamed 
upon  him — Lieschen.  The  words  which  yesterday 
evening  had  been  whispered  so  softly  in  his  ear  under 
the  old  snow-laden  linden  had  sounded  to  him  like  a 
message  of  peace  after  the  last  stormy  weeks.     They 


302 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


were  such  simple,  childlike,  pure  words,  which  came 
from  a  happy,  rejoicing,  girlish  heart.  The  sweet,  shy 
words  of  his  old  playmate  had  seemed  to  him  like  the 
perfume  of  violets.  That  was  real,  true  love  which 
bloomed  for  him  there.  And  he  had  vowed  to  be  worthy 
of  this  love,  to  begin  a  new  life  at  her  side,  with  fresh 
courage,  with  firm,  honest  intentions — yes,  by  heaven! 
he  had  had  this  intention,  and  now — he  laughed  mock- 
ingly.     "  True    love  ?      No ;     there    was    none.     She 


obeyed  her  father  so  willngly  to-day  when  he  told  her, 
"You  will  be  unhappy;  give  him  up!"  No;  the  much- 
praised  great  love  of  a  woman's  heart,  which  follows 
without  wavering,  through  misfortune  and  unhappiness, 
is  a  saying — a  long  forgotten  fairy  tale.  One  just  like 
the  other — faint-hearted,  vain  creatures!  But  he  could 
scarcely  reproach  her.  Her  father  had  told  her,  *'  He 
only  loves  your  money."  That  was  already  sufficient; 
and     then?     What    was     that     about    grandmamma? 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  303 

Baron  Fritz  and  Lisette — Mr.  Erving  had  mentioned 
them  this  morning  when  he  spoke  of  the  chief  reasons 
for  his  refusal.  God  only  knew  what  might  have  hap- 
pened. He  had  been  so  cautious  in  his  remarks.  But, 
bah! — nothing  can  be  changed  now.  How  soon  they 
will  say  at  his  garrison:  "Lieutenant  von  Derenberg 
has  gone  across  the  water — debts,  naturally;  loads  of 
debts.  It  is  in  the  family;  the  father  also  shot  him- 
self. That  happens  every  day — scarcely  worth  the 
trouble  of  speaking  of  it." 

Every  day,  in  truth!  His  mother's  pale,  tortured 
face  rose  before  his  eyes.  He  should  have  been  a  sup- 
port to  her — yes,  she  would  die  if  he  went.  And  Nelly, 
poor  little  thing! — her  lovely  dark  eyes  looked  at  him — 
how  they  would  weep  and  mourn  for  him!  And  if 
she  remained  wholly  alone — if  one  day,  in  a  strange 
land,  he  opened  a  letter  which  told  him  that  his 
mother's  eyes  had  closed  forever,  and  he  had  not  stood 
beside  her  bed,  and  not  received  the  last  glance — had 
not  heard  the  last  word,  which  would  perhaps  have  been 
pardon  for  him  ?  He  sprung  up  quickly  and  unbut- 
toned his  coat;  he  stopped  in  the  middle  of  the  room 
and  stared  at  the  wall.  There  had  hung  the  picture  of 
the  beautiful  Agnes  Mechthilde,  which  he  had  brought 
from  the  ancestral  hall,  because  it  looked  so  like  her. 
He  had  taken  it  down  at  that  time  when  she  broke  her 
word  to  him.  It  still  leaned  there,  with  its  face  to  the 
wall. 

He  went  over  and  raised  it,  and  hung  it  in  its  place. 
The  wonderful  face,  with  the  deep,  sad  eyes,  looked 
down  at  him  again,  so  confidingly,  so  irresistibly  at- 
tractive— he  placed  himself  before  it,  with  crossed 
arms,  and  gazed  at  it  long.     It  was  its  fault,  this  red- 


304  A  Maiden's  Choice, 

dish  gold  luxuriant  hair,  that  he  had  become  what  he 
now  was,  through  a  foolish,  unhappy  passion.  For  a 
moment  a  wild  longing  overcame  him.  Would  she 
have  a  glance  of  pity  when  she  learned  how  far  things 
had  come  with  him ?  He  laughed  quite  loudly.  No; 
those  cold,  sparkling  eyes  could  not  look  mild  like  these. 
The  picture  was  not  like  her — not  at  all ;  only  the  hair. 
A  bitter,  scornful  expression  settled  about  his  mouth. 
"Are  they  without  maliciousness?"  murmured  he; 
"without  maliciousness — not  one;  no,  not  one!" 

He  did  not  hear  how  the  door  of  his  room  was  opened 
softly,  hesitatingly;  he  did  not  see  a  girl's  pale  face, 
with  great,  frightened  eyes,  look  in;  a  slender  form 
softly  and  hesitatingly  approach  him.  She  stood  still 
in  the  middle  of  the  room;  her  eyes  rested,  almost  as  if 
frightened,  upon  the  golden-haired  woman's  face  there 
in  the  picture,  which  the  young  man  still  gazed  at 
fixedly;  involuntarily  she  made  a  movement,  as  if  she 
would  flee — then  he  turned. 

"Lieschen!"  stammmered  he;  ^' Lieschen,  you " 

She  did  not  answer;  she  only  stared  at  him,  while 
the  dark  blush  on  her  face  yielded  to  a  deep  pallor. 

"What  do  you  want,  Lieschen?"  said  he.  "Are  you 
looking  for  Nelly?     She — I  do  not  know  whether " 

"  No,"  answered  she;  "  I  came  to  you." 

"  To  me  ?  "  asked  he  softly. 

"  Yes,  I — fear  drove  me.  Army,  Your  mother  was  at 
our  house,  and  said  you  wished — oh,  do  not  go  away. 
Army;  do  not  go  away!  I  cannot  bear  it."  The  last 
was  like  a  scream;  she  clasped  her  hands  before  her 
glowing  face. 

"  You  ask  me,  Lieschen,  and  yet  you  let  me  go  this 
morning?"  said  he,  bitterly. 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


305 


"  Oh,  I  was  so  wretched  when  you  went,  Army — so 
wretched ;  but  much  more — a  thousand  times  more — it 
pains  me   that  you   do   not   love  me,    that    you    only 

wish " 

"Your  father  told  you  that,  Lieschen!  " 

"Yes!     And   is  it  not  true.    Army?     And  even  if  I 

had  doubted,  when  your  mother  came  to  our  house  to 

ask  father's  help,  so  that  you  need  not  go  out  into  the 

wide  world,  then  it  must  become  clear  to  me — I  must 


believe,  however  my  heart  fought  against  it  with  all 
its  strength." 

"  She  begged  of  your  father  for  me  ?  "  said  he  loudly 
and  angrily,  and  stepped  closer  to  her.  "That  is  too 
much." 


20 


3o6  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"  She  loves  you  so,  Army,  and  she  did  not  know  that 

you — that  I — that  father "    She  paused,  and  looked 

anxiously  and  pleadingly  at  him.  "  Do  not  go  away, 
Army;  do  not  go  away!  "  again  pleaded  the  pale  little 
mouth.  *'  It  must  be  terribly  lonely  out  in  the  great, 
strange  world,  where  no  one  loves  you.  I  ran  away 
from  the  house  when  I  heard  your  mother  speak  the 
terrible  word,  'America.'  In  blind  haste,  with  the 
secret,  dreadful  fear  that  I  could  no  longer  find  you,  I 
wanted  to  ask  you  once  more,  by  all  that  is  dear  and 
precious  to  you  in  life — for  your  mother's,  your  sister's, 
sake,  Army — do  not  go " 

There  she  stood  before  him,  so  charming  in  the  sim- 
ple, dark  blue  woolen  dress,  her  lashes  deeply  lowered 
in  maidenly  confusion,  her  chest  heaving  convulsively 
with  anxiety  for  him,  with  excitement  at  the  step  she 
had  taken;  one  long  braid  had  been  loosened  by  the 
hurried  running,  and  hung  over  her  shoulder;  she  did 
not  notice  it;  she  stretched  her  trembling  hands, 
tightly  clasped  together,  out  to  him  in  supplication, 
and  he  dared  not  seize  them. 

That  was  it,  personified  in  the  loveliest  form,  the 
great,  all- vanquishing  love  of  a  woman's  heart, which  he 
had  just  doubted! 

"Do  not  be  proud,  Army!"  came  at  last  from  her 
lips;  "for  your  mother — and — for  my  sake.  I  would 
be  miserable  all  my  life  with  the  consciousness  of  not 
having  saved  you.  We  will  be  comrades — good  com- 
rades— as  formerly.  Army " 

There  was  a  long  pause;  he  had  turned  away  his 
face,  and  looked  at  the  floor,  his  arms  tightly  folded. 
She  looked  at  him  questioningly,  but  gradually  a  dark, 
glowing  blush  ru5hg4  over  her  face;  her  clasped  hancjs 


A  Maiden^ s  Choice. 


307 


loosened,  and  a  couple  of  great  tears  fell  from  beneath 
her  lashes;  a  feeling  of  burning  shame  rose,  hot  and 
suffocatingly,  in  her  breast;  she  turned  and  went  toward 
the  door.      Then  she  heard  steps  outside — hasty,  well- 


known  steps.  Anxiously  her  large  eyes  wandered 
round  the  room,  and  rested  on  him;  she  stood  there 
irresolute.  "  Auntie!  "  whispered  she.  "She  is  com- 
ing to  look  for  me." 

But  at  the  same  moment  Army  stood  near  her,  and 
drew  her  protectingly  to  him;  confused  and  anxious, 
she  rested  her  head  on  his  shoulder.  She  thought  he 
must  hear  her  heart's  loud  beating.  Now  the  door  was 
opened;  involuntarily  she  leaned  closer  against  him. 


3o8  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


each  moment  expecting  to  hear  a  well-known  voice 
angrily  and  reproachfully  addressing  her.  But  all  was 
silence;  the  old  woman  there  on  the  threshold  stood 
motionless,  only  her  eyes  rested  in  painful  astonish- 
ment upon  the  picture  before  her;  there  in  the  lofty, 
half  dark  room,  just  under  the  large  chandelier  of  deer 
antlers,  stood  a  young  couple.  He  had  his  arm  round 
the  slender  figure,  he  held  her  close  to  him,  and  looked 
gloomily  at  the  old  woman,  as  if  he  were  angry  at  the 
disturbance — so  they  stood,  a  picture  of  the  sweetest 
happiness. 

"  So,  then !  So,  then !  There  is  no  remedy  for  love 
and  death."  She  had  suspected  it  when  Lieschen  so 
quickly  left  the  house;  she  had  hurried  after  her — but 
who,  at  sixty-five,  can  run  like  a  young,  light-footed 
thing;  and  she  came  too  late!  too  late!  "The  poor 
child  had  run  with  open  arms  into  unhappiness!  " 

"  Lieschen!  "  said  she  reproachfully. 

And  then  she  looked  up  and  freed  herself  from  his 
arms. 

"Ah,  do  not  scold,"  she  begged  softly.  "I  could 
not  help  it.  Auntie,"  and  stretched  out  her  hands  to 
her.  She  tried  to  smile,  but  she  did  not  succeed — the 
tears  rushed  to  her  eyes;  she  threw  her  arms  passion- 
ately round  the  old  woman's  neck,  and,  with  sobs,  she 
repeated:  "  I  could  not  help  it;  indeed,  Auntie,  I  could 
not  help  it!" 


XVII. 

The  following  day  brought  bad  weather;  it  thawed, 
and  the  brilliant  snow  covering  suddenly  disappeared; 
the  brown  branches  of  the  trees  stretched  out,  bare  and 
wet,  against  the  gray  sky;  and,  besides,  there  was  a 
wild  wind  raging,  which  made  the  elms  by  the  mill 
stream  bend  and  tremble. 

There  was  an  oppressed  feeling  in  the  mill;  the  girls 
in  the  kitchen  spoke  softly  together;  and  the  coachman, 
who  had  joined  them  there,  scratched  his  ear  with  a 
very  significant  expression.  From  the  sitting-room 
was  heard  the  master's  voice.  The  young  baron  was 
with  him.  Yesterday  he  had  been  there  once,  and 
since  then  Lieschen  had  looked  as  pale  as  the  plaster 
on  the  wall.  Something  must  be  wrong;  that  was 
plain  as  day,  and  Auntie's  face  was  as  sour  as  vine- 
gar— and  now  the  master! 

Now  the  sitting-room  door  opened,  and  the  old 
woman  crossed  the  hall  and  went  upstairs,  as  Dorte, 
who  peeped  through  the  crack  of  the  door,  remarked : 

"Depend  upon  it,  Minnie,  our  young  lady  has  car- 
ried her  point,"  whispered  she.  "Auntie  has  gone  to 
bring  her  down.  Well,  why  not?  He  is  a  handsome 
man,  and  a  distinguished  one,  and  they  always  loved 
each  other,  even  when  he  came  home  on  vacation  as  a 
cadet." 

Peter  rubbed  his  ear  again. 


3IO  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

"Well,  then,"  said  he,  "  if  I  were  the  master  I  would 
say  no,  because  of  the  old  woman  in  the  castle." 

"  'Sh!  "  whispered  Dorte;  "  really,  she  is  coming  down 
the  stairs.  Now  they  are  going  into  the  sitting-room. 
Hurrah!  a  betrothal  feast!     That  will  be  fun!  " 

In  the  next  minute  she  stood  at  the  kitchen  table, 
busy  with  her  cups  and  plates,  for  Auntie  approached 
the  kitchen,  and  immediately  after  she  entered.  The 
old  face  wore  an  anxious  expression,  and  the  eyes 
looked  as  if  they  had  shed  many  tears — so,  at  least, 
thought  the  girls.  For  a  moment  she  stood  as  if  lost 
in  thought ;  then  she  unfastened  the  bunch  of  keys  from 
her  side  and  went  to  the  dining-room. 

"  Glasses,  Dora!  "  said  she,  as  she  came  out  with  sev- 
eral bottles  of  wine;  "and  put  on  a  clean  white  apron 
when  you  bring  them  in." 

She  placed  the  bottles  on  the  kitchen  table,  and, 
wiping  her  eyes,  went  out  again. 

"Gracious!  "  cried  the  girl,  as  she  returned  from  the 
sitting-room  and  set  the  tray  down  on  the  table  with 
a  bang.  "  Is  that  a  betrothal  ?  The  whole  company 
look  as  if  they  were  at  a  funeral.  The  master  bites  his 
lips,  as  if  to  keep  from  crying;  the  mistress  weeps  as 
if  Liesel  were  dead;  and  Auntie,  too;  the  baron  stands 
near  our  young  lady  like  a  stick — just  like  a  stick.  I 
saw  him  kiss  her  hand,  as  if  a  regular,  ordinary  kiss 
did  not  belong  to  an  engagement ;  and  our  Liesel  looks — 
well,  may  God  pity  us,  if  that  is  a  happy  bride!" 

After  perhaps  half  an  .hour  a  young  couple  crossed 
the  threshold  of  the  old  house;  Auntie  stood  at  the 
window  and  looked  after  them,  and  under  the  linden  a 
pale  little  face  glanced  back  once  more  at  the  windows; 
there  was  none  of  that  sweet,  radiant  happiness — none 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  311 

of  that  shy,  budding  rapture  of  a  childish,  young  be- 
trothed in  the  glance ;  her  mouth  wore  a  harsh,  pained 
expression,  and  the  eyes  looked  out  from  beneath  the 
long  lashes  in  deepest  woe.  Her  _;fd!«r/ had  taken  her 
arm  and  drawn  it  through  his;  so  they  walked  on,  and 
the  veil  of  the  fur  cap  which  the  girl  wore  floated  in 
the  wind.  Neither  of  them  spoke  a  word.  Then,  when 
they  came  to  the  old  linden,  Lieschen's  hand  trembled 
slightly,  and  for  a  moment  a  deep  flush  suffused  her 
face. 

"You  are  tired,  Lieschen?     I  walked  too  quickly." 

"  Oh,  no ;  but  I — I  am  so  afraid  of  your  grand- 
mother." 

He  bit  his  lips,  but  was  silent.  He  himself  was  in 
no  pleasant  frame  of  mind,  and  he  knew  his  grand- 
mother well  enough  to  be  certain  that  she  was  capable 
of  an  inconsiderate  action.  Again  they  walked  on,  and 
now  they  turned  into  the  linden  walk;  the  wind  howled 
through  the  long  row  of  trees,  and  blew  the  branches 
together  with  a  creak ;  and  the  high  portal,  with  the 
old  sandstone  bears,  looked  damp  and  moist.  Invol- 
untarily the  young  girl's  eyes  rested  upon  the  imposing 
entrance. 

"What  does  that  mean?"  asked  she  suddenly,  and 
pointed  to  the  motto  of  the  coat  of  arms. 

'''' Nunquam  retrorsam! — Never  retreat!"  replied  he. 

"  That  is  good,"  said  she,  drawing  a  deep  breath,  and 
quickening  her  pace. 

And  now  they  stood  before  the  tower  door;  for  a 
moment  something  of  weakness  overcame  her.  "  Can  I 
bear  it  if  she  insults  me?"  she  asked  herself,  and  a 
nameless  dread  of  the  proud  grandmother  seemed  to 
almost  suffocate  her;  she  felt  as  if  she  must  turn  and 


312  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


flee,  now — before  it  was  too  late;  she  felt  helpless, 
unprotected;  for  he — he  did  not  love  her. 

"Lieschen!"  said  a  clear  voice  joyfully,  and  burst- 
ing into  tears,  Nelly  threw  her  arms  round  her  neck. 
"Lieschen!     Sister  Lieschen!" 

She  endured  the  kisses;  something  like  a  ray  of  sun- 
shine came  to  her  face;  and  up  there,  on  the  threshold 
of  the  cosy  sitting-room,  a  pair  of  arms  were  stretched 
out  to  her,  and  embraced  her  more  and  more  closely; 
and  tender,  loving  words  sounded  in  her  ear. 

"  My  dear  mother,"  whispered  she,  and  bent  over  the 
small  hand.  "  I  will  indeed  always  be  an  obedient 
daughter  to  you,  and — and  a  faithful  wife  to  Army, " 
The  last  was  very  soft  and  hesitating. 

Now  they  stood  in  the  lofty  room  again,  which  two 
days  before  she  had  left  a  gay,  happy  girl ;  now  she 
stood  beside  him,  his  betrothed.  And  in  this  short 
space  of  time  the  young  heart  had  experienced  the 
highest  happiness,  only  immediately  after  to  tremble 
in  the  deepest  misery.  There  sat  the  mother  of  her 
fianc^,  and  her  tear-dimmed  eyes  rested  so  compassion- 
ately upon  her  son's  betrothed.  She  indeed  knew  why 
he  desired  her  hand — it  had  been  just  thus  with  her. 
Only  Nelly  was  unconstrained;  she  believed  in  his  love 
for  her  friend.  Ah,  if  she  only  could  also,  this  belief 
was  so  sweet,  so  wonderful. 

"  Excuse  me  a  moment,  Lieschen,  I  will  announce 
our  visit  to  grandmamma,"  said  Army, 

She  nodded  her  head  in  assent,  and  he  went,  only  to 
return  immediately,  in  silence.  Her  heart  beat  storm- 
ily ;  involuntarily  she  folded  her  hands,  while  she  blushed 
and  paled  in  sudden  change;  and  all  at  once  all  that 
the  proud  woman  had  done  to  her  seemed  written  on  her 


A  Maiden* s  Choice.  313 

mind  in  letters  of  flame;  and  then  a  lovely  image  rose 
before  her  eyes — Great-aunt  Lisette,  and  an  early  grave 
in  the  churchyard  yonder. 

"  Madame  the  Baroness  regrets  that  she  has  a  head- 
ache, and  cannot  receive  any  one  to-day,"  Sanna's 
voice  startled  the  young  girl  from  her  feverish  train  of 
thought. 

"  Then  I  request  her  to  appoint  an  hour  for  to-morrow 
when  I  may  pay  her  a  visit  with  my  betrothed."  It 
sounded  apparently  calm,  and  yet  Army's  eyes  sparkled 
threateningly  at  the  old  woman,  whose  glance  rested 
upon  the  young  girl  almost  with  hatred.  The  latter 
had  involuntarily  drawn  herself  up,  and  Nelly  grasped 
her  hand  and  stroked  her  cheeks. 

"Mamma!"  began  Army,  and  sat  down  beside  his 
betrothed,  "my  father-in-law  requests  an  interview 
with  you;  and  it  would  be  very  pleasant  if  you  and 
Nelly  would  come  to  the  mill  this  evening  and  cele- 
brate our " 

"Certainly,  Army — certainly!  I  would  have  gone 
with  Nelly  before  to-day  if  the  weather  had  permitted." 

"  The  baroness  cannot  fix  a  time,  but  requests  the 
lieutenant  to  come  to  her  for  a  moment  this  evening," 
was  the  message  which  the  old  servant  now  brought. 

"  I  am  sorry,  Sanna,  I  am,  naturally,  not  at  liberty 
this  evening,  as  we  will  celebrate  our  betrothal  down 
in  the  mill — do  you  hear,  Sanna,  down  in  the  mill!  I 
am  furthermore  sorry,  Sanna,  that  the  baroness  has  a 
headache,  and  we  therefore  must  be  deprived  of  her 
presence  at  the  celebration.  We,  the  betrothed  couple, 
present  our  compliments,  and  hope  that  she  may  soon 
be  better.'.' 

"  Si^  signer^  '  hissed  the  old  woman,  and  disappeared. 


3t4  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

There  was  silence;  Army  walked  up  and  down  the 
room;  his  mother  had  drawn  the  young  girl  down  beside 
her  on  the  sofa,  and  held  her  hands  tightly  in  hers. 
Ah,  heavens!  it  was  fearfully  hard — the  consciousness 
of  her  oppressive  position  suddenly  overcame  her  with 
all  its  force;  she  thought  she  would  die.  And  now, 
when  her  father  learned  that  her  fiance's  grandmother 
would  not  see  her — and  Auntie!  Still,  she  had  wished 
nothing  better;  she  would  never  complain — she  had 
promised.     Yes;  if  at  least  he  had  loved  her,  then 

"  I  must  go  home, "  said  she,  rising ;  she  felt  strangely 
oppressed. 

"Why  in  such  a  hurry?"  asked  Army. 

"  I — I  should  like  to  tell  them  at  home  that  mamma 
and  Nelly  are  coming,"  stammered  she.  He  took  his 
cap,  without  further  remark. 

"Please  remain  here!"  she  begged  anxiously.  "I 
can  go  alone  perfectly  well.  Please  come  afterwards, 
with  your  mother!" 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  impatiently.  "  Good-bye, 
mamma,  au  revoir;  good-by,  Nelly!"  cried  he,  while 
Lieschen,  drawing  down  her  veil,  gave  him  her  hand 
with  averted  face. 

The  storm  still  raged  outside,  and  they  walked  on 
silently,  side  by  side.  The  wind  pulled  at  the  clothes 
of  the  young  girl,  and  made  her  shiver  with  the  cold. 

"You  are  too  lightly  wrapped  up,"  said  Army,  and 
took  off  his  coat  to  lay  over  her  shoulders. 

"No;  I  am  not  at  all  cold — really;  thank  you!"  He 
hung  the  coat  over  his  arm,  and  walked  on  beside  her. 

"The  path  is  almost  impassable,"  he  began,  after 
a  while;  "besides,  we  must  soon  come  to  the  place 
where  the   mill   stream   has  somewhat  overflowed  its 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  317 

banks.  Wait;  here  we  are  already.  I  must  see  whether 
a  path  does  not  lead  through  the  bushes  over  there. " 

The  young  girl  obediently  stood  still;  in  the  gray 
twilight  she  saw  his  slender  figure  walking  along  in 
search  on  the  other  side  of  the  path ;  then  he  came  back. 

"  We  cannot  pass ;  the  water  is  almost  a  foot  deep  on 
both  sides.     I  will  carry  you  over." 

"No!"  cried  she,  drawing  back;  "never!" 

"  Why  not  ?" 

"  Because  I  do  not  wish  you  to  trouble  yourself  in  the 
slightest  on  my  account.  Wet  feet  will  not  hurt  me — 
certainly  not.     We  will  be  at  the  house  immediately." 

He  did  not  answer,  and  the  darkness  concealed  his 
flaming  blush,  but  she  felt  herself  immediately  lifted 
up  by  strong  arms  and  carried  across. 

"Pardon!"  sounded  coldly  and  bitterly  in  her  ear 
when  again  they  stood  on  firm  ground.  "  A  lady  cannot 
possibly  pass  this  place  without  assistance." 

The  rest  of  the  distance  was  finished  in  silence.  When 
they  entered  the  hall  the  curious  faces  of  the  girls  in 
the  kitchen  peeped  out,  and  Auntie  came  to  meet  them, 
"What  a  storm!"  said  she  pleasantly,  and  opened  the 
door  of  the  sitting-room. 

"Good  evening.  Auntie!"  said  Army,  and  tried  to 
take  her  hand,  but  the  old  woman  drew  it  back  with 
perceptible  haste. 

"Go  in  there.  Sir  Baron!"  said  she  coldly.  "  Lie- 
schen  will  come  after  you  in  a  moment.  I  first  have 
something  to  tell  her,  and  you  have  so  many  things  to 
discuss  with  your  father-in-law."  She  drew  the  young 
girl  away  by  the  hand  into  her  little  room. 

"We  are  to  have  guests.  Auntie,"  said  she.  "Peter 
must  fetch  Army's  mother  and  Nelly  in  the  carriage." 


3i8  A  Maiden'' s  Choice. 


"Very  good;  I  will  see  to  it."  i 

The  old  woman  went  out,  and  when  she  came  back 
again  the  flickering  light  of  the  lamp  which  she  carried 
fell  on  a  very  tearful  face  which  the  twilight  had 
before  concealed. 

"  You  have  been  crying,  Auntie  ?"  asked  Lieschen,  and 
bent  down  to  her. 

"Well,  yes,  child;  that  happens  so.  Never  mind. 
I  wished  to  say  a  few  words  to  you  this  evening,  be- 
cause it  is  your  betrothal  day."  She  placed  the  lamp 
on  the  table,  and  went  up  to  the  young  girl.  "  See, 
Lieschen.  I  always  thought  this  day  would  be  hap- 
pier, and  thought  you  would  be  a  less  pale  betrothed. 
It  is  your  wish,  child;  you  say,  too,  that  you  are  happy, 
and  begged  your  parents'  consent  on  your  knees;  but 
me,  Lieschen — me  you  cannot  deceive.  I  know  very 
well  how  your  poor  little  heart  feels,  and  it  makes 
me  so  very  miserable.  I  could  almost  die  with  heart- 
ache." 

She  turned  round  and  went  to  the  bureau,  straightened 
the  cover,  and  pushed  the  cushion  here  and  there;  and 
with  that  the  tears  overflowed  her  eyes,  and  fell  on  her 
old  hands.  Lieschen  still  stood  silent  in  the  middle 
of  the  room. 

"You  are  so  quiet,  child,  and  so  rigid,"  said  the  old 
woman,  and  dried  her  eyes,  "  It  worries  me  so.  Speak 
my  dearest,     You  will  feel  better  for  it." 

"  What  shall  I  say,  then.  Auntie  ?  I  have  nothing  that 
I  care  to  speak  of,"  replied  she.  1 

"Come  here  to  me,  Liesel,"  begged  the  old  woman, 
and  drew  the  slender  form  to  her.  "  Promise  me  one 
thing!  If  he  should  ever  forget  what  you  have  done 
for  him,  if  he  is  ever  unkind  to  you,  and  I  am  still  alive, 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


319 


child,  then  come  to  me.     Then  I  will  talk  to  him,  and 

he  will  not  try  it  a  second  time." 

She  only  smiled.     "  Please    do  not  worry  yourself, 

Auntie!" 

"  And  the  old  baroness,  child,  have  you  spoken  to  her  ?" 

"No,  Auntie.     I  think  she  will  not  see  me." 

The  old  woman  started  up  angrily,  and  for  a  moment 


her  good  face  looked  indescribably  bitter;  she  had  a 
harsh  speech  on  her  lips,  but  a  glance  at  the  pale  girl 
before  her  made  her  silent.  "Dear  Heaven!"  she  only 
murmured;  "and  all  this  without  love!"  And  again 
her  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

Just  then  a  carriage  rolled  heavily  over  the  bridge. 
It  was  to  fetch  the  ladies  from  the  castle ;  but  at  the 


320  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


same  time  the  house  door  was  opened,  loud  talking 
Was  heard,  and  then  Dora's  exclamation  of  pity. 

"Oh,  merciful  heavens!     Oh!" 

"  That  was  certainly  old  Thomas  from  the  parsonage," 
said  Auntie,  and  opened  the  door.  Right ;  there  stood 
the  bent  old  man,  and  the  cap  which  he  held  in  his 
hand  dripped  with  rain,  and  Dora  cried  out  to  Auntie: 

"  Ah !  only  listen ;  the  pastor's  little  Karl  is  dead.  Oh, 
how  sorry  I  am!"  i 

"  Karl  ?"  asked  Lieschen,  and  suddenly  stood  close  to 
the  old  messenger.     "  Karl  ?" 

"Yes,  miss;  he  fell  asleep  at  six  o'clock.  Oh,  Miss 
Liesel,  the  poor  mother  and  father!  He  was  such  a 
fine  boy.  You  do  not  know  how  miserable  they  are 
down  there. " 

The  young  girl  was  still  in  hat  and  coat.  Without 
considering,  she  walked  to  the  front  door. 

"Where are  you  going,  child?   Child,  in  this  storm?" 

"I  am  going  to  Uncle  Pastor,  Auntie;  let  me, 
please!" 

And  already  she  stood  outside  in  the  raging  storm, 
and  fought  against  the  wind  to  go  forward.  The  old 
woman's  call  was  drowned  by  the  storm, and  the  branches 
of  the  elms,  by  the  rushing  mill  stream,  bent  above 
her  in  wild  combat.  Then  a  carriage  came  to  meet 
her;  she  stepped  aside  and  let  it  pass,  and  then  she 
walked  on  all  the  more  quickly.  It  seemed  a  good 
thing,  this  storm,  to  her;  it  was  a  torment  to  sit  beside 
him  in  the  protected  room;  it  looked  like  a  picture 
of  the  sweetest  happiness,  and  yet  there  was  not  a 
shadow  of  it.  He  did  not  love  her.;  he  only  desired  her 
on  account  of  her  money!  The  feeling  of  joyous  self- 
sacrifice  with  which  she  had  offered  him  her  hand  disap- 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  321 

peared  before  the  humiliations  she  suffered;  and  what 
did  he  who  had  accepted  the  sacrifice  do  to  sweeten 
the  humiliations?  Was  it,  then,  so  hard  to  be  her  good 
comrade? 

How  wildly  the  wind  shook  the  branches  of  the  old 
linden,  and  how  quickly  the  clouds  chased  each  other 
across  the  dark  heavens !  And  down  there  in  the  village, 
in  the  parsonage,  tears  were  shed — bitter,  hot  tears. 
If  one  could  only  weep  also!  But  she  this  would  not; 
she  did  not  wish  people  to  look  at  her  compassionately, 
father  and  mother  and  Auntie,  even  Dorte  and  Minnie — 
no,  that  was  terrible;  that  she  could  not  bear. 

Did  not  hasty  steps  sound  behind  her  ?  Yes;  and  now 
the  call:  "Lieschen!  Lieschen!"  She  stood  still;  that 
was  surely  his  voice.  If  she  could  now  go  to  meet  him, 
and  cling  to  his  arm,  if  he  said,  "  I  was  worried  about 
you,  so  I  came."  But  no;  her  father  had  certainly  sent 
him  after  her,  or  he  would  perhaps  have  followed  every 
other  one;  for  a  lady  cannot  possibly  walk  alone  in 
this  storm. 

"  But,  Lieschen,  I  beg  of  you !"  now  sounded  his  voice ; 
"how  can  you  go  out  in  such  weather?  Your  parents 
are  worried  half  to  death  about  you.  Here  is  Auntie's 
shawl ;  and  wait,  the  carriage  will  come  immediately. 
I  told  them  to  send  it  after  you  without  delay.  Are 
you  still  the  little  foolish  Liesel,  whose  kin^  heart 
flames  up  at  the  misfortune  of  strangers?"  he  asked, 
wrapping  the  shawl  round  her. 

She  smiled  bitterly.  *'  The  pastor  and  his  family  are 
no  strangers  for  me.  They  belong,  indeed,  to  our 
family." 

He  did  not  reply  to  the  harsh  tone;  and  now  the  car- 
riage came  up  and  stopped  close  before  them. 
21 


32  2  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"  May  I  accompany  you  ?"  asked  he,  helping  her  to 
get  in;  "or  do  you  prefer  to  go  alone?" 

She  wished  to  assent  to  the  latter,  but  then  her  eyes 
fell  on  him.  He  was  in  his  uniform,  without  over- 
coat. 

"  I  do  not  wish  you  to  get  cold  on  my  account,"  said 
she  dully.     "Pray  get  in!" 

After  a  short  drive  the  carriage  stopped;  Lieschen 
hurriedly  got  out  and  went  into  the  parsonage;  it  was 
dark  in  the  hall,  and  quiet  all  around.  She  knocked  at 
the  door  of  the  sitting-room.  It  echoed  back  strangely, 
loudly,  but  no  friendly  "  Come  in!"  was  heard.  An 
inexplicable  terror  overcame  her,  here  in  the  house  of 
death,  but  courageously  she  groped  her  way  forward. 
There  were  the  stairs;  and  now,  here  to  the  right,  the 
study.  She  knocked  softly — again  no  answer;  but  light 
shone  through  the  crack.  She  opened  the  door,  and 
peeped  in;  there  sat  Uncle  Pastor  at  the  table,  his  face 
hidden  in  his  hands,  and  before  him  lay  the  opened 
Bible. 

"Uncle  Pastor!  Uncle  Pastor!"  cried  she,  sobbing, 
and  hid  her  head  on  his  shoulder. 

"  Liesel,  you  good  child!  Yes,  trouble  has  come 
heavily  upon  us,"  said  he  gravely,  and  stroked  her 
damp,  brown  braids.  "  And  you  came  here  in  the  storm  ? 
How  kind  that  was  of  you!  Our  Karl,  Lieschen — our 
wild,  pretty  fellow — oh,  it  is  hard  not  to  murmur  against 
God.      My  poor  Rosine!     He  was  her  pride. " 

"Oh,  uncle,  uncle!"  sobbed  she,  in  deep  misery; 
"how  sad  life  is!     How  hard!" 

"Yes,  it  is  hard,"  now  said  the  little  wife,  who  had 
come  in;  "  it  is  very  hard."  And  a  stream  of  hot  tears 
burst  from  her  eyes,  already  red  from  weeping.    "  You 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


323 


should  not  have  come,  dear  child;  it  excites  you;  and 
you  might  be  ill." 

"  May  I  not  see  Karl  once  ?  Please,  aunt!"  said  she, 
still  sobbing. 

And  in  the  adjoining  room  lay  a  pale,  boyish  face 


on  the  snow-white  pillow.  She  went  softly  up  and 
looked  at  the  dear,  well-known  features.  How  often 
had  the  mouth  there  said,  "Aunt  Lieschen  "  to  her! 
How  often  the  large  eyes  looked  at  her  laughingly,  and 
now  so  quiet,  so  silent!  The  little  mother  pressed  her 
face  again  to  the  pillows  of  the  small  bed;  and  the 
father  stood  at  the  other  side  and  looked  at  what  was 
left  to  him  of  his  proudest  dreams  for  the  future.  But 
Lieschen 's  tears  ceased  to  flow;  there  was  such  wonder- 
ful peace  on  the  child's  face  before  her.     How  lovely  it 


324  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


must  be  to  sleep  so  sweetly,  with  such  a  happy  smile, 
and  without  having  to  experience  the  misery  of  life! 

"Do  not  cry,  aunt!  He  sleeps  so  peacefully,  he 
looks  so  happy!  "     Then  she  slowly  turned  to  go. 

She  stood  still  in  the  little  room.  "Uncle,"  said 
she  softly,  and  laid  her  little  hand  on  his  arm,  "may 
I  come  to  you  with  a  question  at  this  hour?" 

"At  any  time;  now  also,  my  Lieschen!  Do  I  sus- 
pect rightly  when  I  think  that  it  is  about  you  and 
Army  ?    Something  of  that  has  come  to  my  ears  to-day. " 

"  Yes,  uncle;  and  I  cannot  go  away  without  your  tell- 
ing me  how  I  must  act."  She  seated  herself  on  the 
little  sofa.  "Father  refused  his  consent,"  she  con- 
tinued, "  and  Auntie  said  a  marriage  with  Army 
would  be  my  misfortune,  uncle,  because  he  does  not 
think  of  me,  but  only  of  my  money;  and  father  ap- 
pealed to  my  maidenly  pride.  At  first  I  obeyed  him; 
it  was  such  a  dreadful  feeling  to  learn  that;  I  wished 
to  be  strong,  also,  uncle;  but  then — then  his  mother 
came,  and  was  so  grieved.  He  wished  to  go  away  to 
America;  and  then,  uncle,  something  drove  me  to  him, 
and  I  begged  him  not  to  go  away.  I  was  half  crazy 
f^  with  grief  and  fear.  He  should  look  upon  me  as  a 
good  comrade,  I  said  to  him.  And  then  father  con- 
sented, because  I  begged  him  so.  I  went  on  my  knees 
to  him,  uncle — I  should  have  died  if  Army  had  been 
forced  to  go  away  to  America  and  I  had  not  tried 
everything  to  save  him.  Army  does  not  know  what 
fights  it  has  cost;  and  now  it  is  so  very  hard  for  me 
when  I  stand  near  him.  At  every  step  at  his  side  my 
heart  aches,  and  then  my  pride  rises  that  I  am  really 
his  betrothed,  but  an  unloved  one.  Ah,  uncle,  I  am  so 
unhappy ! "  , 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  325 


She  burst  into  tears,  and  hid  her  head  in  the  pillow 
of  the  sofa. 

"  Dear  child,"  said  the  clergyman,  and  softly  stroked 
her  thick  hair;  "you  believed  it  would  be  easier  to 
deny  yourself.  Ah,  no — that  brings  more  thorns  than 
roses.  A  proverb  from  my  Rosine's  album  occurs  to 
me — her  old  grandmother  wrote  it  in  the  book  when  she, 
a  young  girl,  went  from  her  father's  house  as  governess 
among  strangers  to  earn  her  living — 'If  you  are  ever 
in  conflict  with  your  feelings,  my  beloved  child,  and 
vexation  and  wounded  vanity  fight  with  an  inclination 
to  pardon,  to  love,  let  love  triumph,  even  at  the  price  of 
seeming  humiliated. '  The  loveliest,  the  most  beautiful, 
thing  which  a  woman  can  do  is  to  love,  always  to  love, 
although  she  is  injured.  Have  patience, child,"  he  added, 
as  the  girl  looked  up  at  him  with  eyes  filled  with  tears; 
"he  has  just  experienced  a  bitter  disappointment;  and 
the  consciousness  of  taking  a  step  which  is  not  regarded 
favorably  on  either  side  may  be  tormenting  enough  to 
him.  He  will  overcome  that.  Consider  that  not  only 
his  extremely  distressing  position  has  led  him  to  you, 
but  the  true  need  of  a  heart  full  of  love.  I  have  never 
discovered  an  ignoble  trait  in  his  character.  For  the 
present  he  will  esteem  you  highly — he  will  be  thankful 
to  you  for  having  saved  him  from  necessity  and  dis- 
grace; and  later,  my  child,  perhaps  before  you  have 
thought,  you  will  discover  a  little  spark  of  love  for  you 
in  his  heart,  which,  with  humility  and  care,  with  never 
weary  friendliness,  cherished  and  guarded,  will  some 
day  kindle  to  a  bright  flame.  But  be  careful  that  you 
do  not  quench  the  weak  spark  by  irritability.  Treat 
him  like  a  sick  child!  " 

Lieschen  had  risen. 


326  A  Maiden  s  Choke. 


"I  thank  you,  uncle,"  said  she  softly;  "and  you 
will  soothe  my  parents,  will  you  not,  and  tell  them 
that  I  may  yet  be  happy — and  Auntie?  I  will  be 
pleasant  and  considerate  to  Army,  and  will  fight  with 
my  irritation.  But,  uncle,  only  tell  me  once  more, 
was  it  wrong  of  me  not  to  be  guided  by  my  father  ? 
See,  he  thought  I  did  not  love  him,  or  else  I  would  not 
grieve  him  by  insisting  upon  having  my  will ;  and 
Auntie  cries  all  the  time.  Ah,  uncle,  make  my  father 
look  at  me  pleasantly  again." 

"It  is  hard  for  him,  child,  to  give  up  his  fears.  You 
are  his  only  daughter,  and  he  is  anxious  about  you. 
It  was  his  duty  to  warn  you,  to  throw  a  bright  light 
upon  the  path  which  you  wish  to  take;  you  enter  into 
such  confused  circumstances  in  a  wholly  different 
sphere.  Do  not  reproach  him  if  he  frowns;  and  just 
as  little  Auntie.  The  old  woman  loves  you  so  dearly. 
But  she  will  look  happy  again  if  she  sees  you  contented 
at  Army's  side,  and  that  lies  in  your  power.  You  love 
him,  you  say,  and,  you  know,  'Love  suffereth  all  things, 
endureth  all  things,  hopeth  all  things.'" 

"I  thank  you  once  more,  uncle,"  repeated  she. 
"You  always  find  the  right  word.  I  was  on  the  road 
to  being  cold  and  irritable  to  him.  I  will  do  differ- 
ently now.  Good-by,  I  will  come  again  to-morrow; 
and  do  not  weep,  uncle  —  Karl  has  been  spared  so 
much  pain." 

Slowly  she  went  down  the  stairs;  the  carriage  had 
turned,  and  waited  before  the  house-door;  Army  stood 
beside  it  and  waited;  he  helped  her  in,  and  seated 
himself  beside  her;  and  again  they  drove  silently  on 
through  the  night. 

"Army,"  said  she  suddenly,  and  laid  her  hand  on 


A  MaiderCs  Choice. 


327 


his  shoulder,  "  I  was  very  out  of  temper  and  unpleas- 
ant.     Forgive  me;    I   just   come  from  the   house   of 

death " 

He  took  her  hand  in  his,  and  turned  towards  her 
"I  have  0  request  to  make  of  you,"  she  conti'^aed, 
before  he  could  answer.  "  You  know  my  father  only 
gave  his  consent  with  a  heavy  heart  to  our  betrothal. 
He  is  afraid  I  may  not  be  happy.  Forgive  him.  Army. 
I  am  his  only  child;  help  me  to  drive  the  clouds  from 
his  forehead,  and  try  a  little  to  act  as  if  you  loved  me. 


as  if  you  were  happy.  I  will  also — I  am  indeed,"  she 
added  softly.  "Do  not  be  angry;  but  mother  might 
wonder,  and  Auntie,  and  I  would  so  like  them  to  look 
pleasantly  at  us,  and  not  worried " 


\ 


328  A  Maiden's  Choice.  , 

He  did  not  answer. 

"Will  you,  Army?"  she  asked  hesitatingly. 

Already  the  carriage  rolled  over  the  mill  bridge  and 
past  the  business  house;  it  drove  round  the  bare  lin- 
dens, and  now  stopped  before  the  house  door.  Lieschen 
looked  intently  at  him,  and  he  had  turned  his  head 
away  and  looked  out  of  the  window.  Dorte  just  then 
came  from  the  door  with  a  lantern,  and  opened  the  car- 
riage door;  he  sprung  out  and  offered  Lieschen  his 
hand  to  assist  her ;  an  expression  of  the  deepest  emo- 
tion was  on  his  face.  So  he  must  act  as  if  he  loved 
her?  How  sad  this  request  was!  And  if  he  now  said 
to  her,  "Why  feign  it?  I  love  you  really,  with  your 
pure  heart,  your  lovely  womanliness — with  you  alone 
can  I  be  happy,  you  alone  give  me  back  my  peace!" 
would  she  believe  it?  But  that  was  the  wretchedness 
of  it — he  had  lost  her  confidence. 

He  looked  at  her;  he  wished  to  answer — what?  Yes; 
that  he  did  not  know  himself.  And  then,  in  the  uncer- 
tain light  of  the  lantern,  a  charming  head  leaned  out 
of  the  carriage;  the  little  fur  cap  was  somewhat  on  one 
side  upon  the  thick,  brown  braids;  the  little  oval  face 
was  still  flushed  with  tears;  the  delicate  mouth  wore  a 
slight,  shy  smile — a  forced  smile,  but  still  it  caused  two 
charming  little  dimples  in  her  cheeks ;  but  the  eyes  which 
looked  into  his  as  if  imploring  an  answer  made  him 
draw  back  quite  startled.  He  knew  them — -those  eyes 
— they  looked  at  him  so  dreamily,  so  steeped  in  misery, 
as  if  they  sought  a  lost  happiness.  Almost  stormily  he 
drew  her  to  him,  and  looked  into  the  great  stars. 

The  carriage  had  driven  away,  and  Dora  ran  out  of 
the  storm  into  the  protecting  hall.  It  had  grown  dark 
around  the  two  young  people  outside;    he  wished  to 


A  Maiden  s  Choice.  329 

speak,  but  his  lips  closed  again.  "  She  would  not  be- 
lieve you,"  he  said  to  himself,  and  she  did  not  venture 
to  ask  him  again,  as  he  slowly  released  her  hands  from 
his.  "He  will  not  lie,"  she  thought,  and  crossed  the 
old  threshold.  "  He  will  promise  nothing  that  he  can- 
not keep — he  does  not  love  me  at  all ! " 


XVIII.  ; 

"  And  you  say,  Henry,  that  my  grandmother  saw  the 
two  together  ? " 

"Fanny  told  me  so,  lieutenant,  the  evening  before 
she  disappeared." 

The  young  officer  sat  in  one  of  the  large  arm-chairs 
of  his  room,  and  looked  intently,  and  with  great  inter- 
est, at  the  old  man,  who  stood  respectfully  not  far  from 
him,  and  whose  features  betrayed  a  slight  embarrass- 
ment. Army  had  sent  for  him  at  a  late  hour;  he  wished 
to  know  what  motives  guided  his  grandmother,  and  in 
what  her  hatred  was  rooted,  which  had  again  been  dis- 
played to-day  in  his  contemptuous  treatment  of  his 
betrothed.  He  wished  to  hear  from  an  impartial 
mouth  at  what  his  future  father-in-law's  insinuations 
were  directed;  and  the  old  man  had  indeed,  upon  his 
questioning  him,  begun  hesitatingly  and  with  embar- 
rassment to  tell  of  Baron  Fritz,  who  loved  so  dearly 
the  beautiful  Lisette  down  in  the  mill. 

"At  that  time,"  continued  the  old  man,  "the  Baron 
Fritz  came  riding  home  one  evening,  so  very  jovial. 
I  took  off  his  overcoat,  for  it  was  cold,  and  then  I  un- 
locked the  little  tower  room  for  him,  and  lit  a  fire  in 
the  fireplace " 

"The  little  tower  room?"  the  young  officer  inter- 
rupted the  narrator  hastily. 

"Yes,  lieutenant;  Baron  Fritz  always  occupied  that 
room.     I  know  why,  too — from  up  there  he  could  see 


A  Maiden'' s  Choice. 


3$t 


his  sweetheart's  windows — and  I  lit  a  fire,  fetched  him 
a  bottle  of  Madeira,  and  helped  him  change  his  clothes; 
for  you  must  know,  lieutenant,  I  would  not  give  up 
his  service,  he  was  such  a  nice,  pleasant  gentleman, 
and  whoever  saw  him  must  like  him.  And  now 
he   asked   after   everything   that   had    happened,    and 


whether  his  brother  were  home  yet,  and  I  answered  to 
everything  and  told  him  that  the  master  was  expected 
home  in  three  days;  well,  and  then  how  his  mother 
and  his  sister-in-law  were;  and  then  he  rummaged  in 
the  drawers  of  the  writing-desk,  and  at  last  he  asked, 
quite  anxiously:    'Henry,   did  you  arrange  the  room 


jkt. ».' 


332  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

when  I  went  away  so  hurriedly  recently  ? '  'Yes,  Sir 
Baron,'  said  I.  'Did  you  not  find  a  little  gold  heart? ' 
'No,'  and  he  continued  looking  for  it;  and  I  looked, 
too,  but  nothing  was  found.  At  last  he  gave  up,  but  he 
looked  very  sad.  'Do  you  know,  Henry,'  said  he, 
theii,  'that  is  a  great  loss  to  me.  I  will  give  you  fifty 
dollars  if  you  get  the  heart  for  me,'  and  then  he  took 
his  hat  and  cane,  for  he  always  wore  civilian's  clothes 
when  he  was  here,  and  said  he  would  take  a  walk  in 
the  park  before  he  waited  upon  the  ladies.  Well  I  knew 
where  he  was  going. 

"  The  fifty  dollars  stayed  in  my  mind,  lieutenant,  and 
so  I  began  to  look  and  look  again;  but  it  was  no  use. 
And  then  I  took  the  light  and  went  in  the  adjoining 
bedroom,  and  while  I  was  in  there,  it  seemed  to  me 
that  I  heard  the  doors  open  near  by,  as  softly  and 
quietly  as  possible,  and  as  I  quickly  entered  the  sit- 
ting-room again  I  started  back,  for  there  stood  Sanna, 
and  gave  a  start. 

"  Do  you  know,  lieutenant,  now  I  am  older  and 
quieter,  but  at  that  time  I  could  not  bear  the  thin 
woman,  with  the  cold,  gray  eyes,  the  black  hair,  and 
the  yellow  face;  she  was  always  a  false  creature,  and 
therefore  I  thundered  out  at  her  in  the  name  of  all  the 
devils,  and  asked  what  she  wanted  here.  'The  gracious 
lady  would  like  to  know,'  said  she,  'when  Baron  Fritz 
returns?'  She  always  called  me  Enrico  at  that  time, 
for  she  was  proud  of  her  Italian  origin.  'Where  is  the 
baron? '  she  asked  once  more.  'Go  to  the  devil!  '  cried 
I  to  her,  and  'do  not  spy  around.  I  do  not  know  where 
he  is,'  and  with  that  I  wished  to  push  her  out.  'Hark!' 
said  she,  and  as  I  was  silent  we  heard  the  village  bells 
tolling  for  some  one  dead;  she  began  to  cross  herself 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  ^^^ 

and  say  an  Ave  Maria,  but  I  pushed  her  out.  'Do 
that  outside!  Do  you  understand?*  and  then  she 
turned  round  before  the  door,  and  said,  'Do  you 
know,  Enrico,  who  is  dead?  It  is  the  rag-miller's 
Lisette. ' 

"  The  miller's  Lisette!  I  was  so  frightened  that  I 
trembled.  Gracious,  what  will  Baron  Fritz  say?  was 
my  first  thought;  he  went  to  her  so  happy,  so  jovial — 
and  now  dead,  the  pretty  young  thing.  It  was  a  pleas- 
ure, sir,  to  see  the  girl;  whether  you  see  the  rag- 
miller's  Lieschen — I  would  say  the  baron's  betrothed — 
or  her  great-aunt,  Lisette,  it  is  just  the  same^Lieschen 
is  her  very  image.  And  as  I  stood  there  a  storm  rose 
so  that  the  trees  bent,  and  it  howled  and  groaned  round 
the  old  walls  in  all  the  keys.  Baron  Fritz  did  not 
come,  and  meanwhile  the  weather  grew  worse  and 
worse;  and  it  was  just  as  if  the  hurricane  would  tear 
down  the  tower;  in  the  darkness  the  eye  could  distin- 
guish no  object,  however  I  tried  and  pressed  my  face 
against  the  window.  The  castle  clock  had  struck  ten, 
and  still  he  did  not  return.  Oh,  sir,  it  was  a  fearful 
night!  All  at  once  the  door  flew  open,  and  as  I  turned 
my  horrified  eyes  beheld  Baron  Fritz — he  stood  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  and  at  his  feet,  pale  and  dishev- 
elled, lay  wild  Fanny,  and  held  her  hands  up  to  him  in 
anxious  supplication. 

"'Request  my  sister-in-law,  Henry,'  said  he,  in  a 
dull  voice,  'to  come  here  for  a  moment. '  I  flew  to  the 
door,  lieutenant.  I  knew  something  terrible  had  hap- 
pened, when  I  saw  the  girl's  abject  form,  and  as  I  tore 
open  the  door,  there  stood  the  baroness,  your  grand- 
mother, outside,  and  wished  to  come  in.  She  drew 
back  when  she  discovered  her  brother-in-law;    for  a 


334  ^  Maiden's  Choice. 


moment  her  limbs  shook  as  if  in  terror,  but  then  she 
entered  the  room,  apparently  quite  calm. 

"  Lieutenant,  there  can  scarcely  have  ever  been  a  more 
beautiful  woman  than  she  was;  and  as  she  stood  there 
in  her  long  white  wrapper,  her  black  hair  half  loosened, 
and  with  her  great  dark  eyes  shining  from  her  pale 
face,  she  looked  like  an  angel  of  innocence  compared 
to  the  poor,  whimpering  creature  on  the  floor. 

*'  ''Mio  caro  amico,'  cried  she  to  the  baron,  'what  does 
that  mean?'  and  pointed,  as  if  astonished,  at  Fanny. 

"'Come  in,  Madame  Sister-in-law,'  replied  he 
roughly.  'Go,  Henry,  and  shut  the  door,' — now  for 
the  first  time  he  turned  his  face  to  me.  Sir,  at  that 
time  I  was  a  rough,  wild  fellow,  but  I  shook,  he  looked 
so;  his  eyes  seemed  sunken,  the  young,  blooming  face 
had  grown  old  and  faded  in  mad  agony,  and  his  mouth 
twitched  as  if  with  furious  rage.  I  will  never  forget 
the  sight  in  all  my  life,  and  the  deadly  terror  which 
I  felt  as  I  closed  the  door  behind  the  baroness;  my 
teeth  chattered  from  excitement,  and  I  stood  there  in 
the  corridor  as  if  spellbound.  Sanna  also  crept  up, 
and  there  we  both  stood,  and  scarcely  ventured  to 
breathe.  At  first  what  they  said  inside  was  unintel- 
ligible; one  heard  only  the  gentle  voice  of  the  lady, 
and  in  between,  Fanny's  sobs;  but  then  it  broke  loose. 
We  could  plainly  hear  the  baron's  oaths — they  were 
fearful  words;  the  lady  cried  out  many  times  in  be- 
tween, and  Fanny  moaned  and  cried ;  but  Sanna  threw 
herself  on  her  knees  and  began  to  weep  and  pray,  and 
her  face  was  ashy. 

"  Then  there  was  a  pause,  a  short  pause,  and  the  bar- 
oness said  a  few  words,  and  now,  like  a  storm,  the  ter- 
rible words  broke  forth  again.     The  baron,  God  help 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  335 

him,  lieutenant,  it  was  fearful  what  he  screamed  in 
such  a  loud  voice;  it  was  the  outburst  of  boundless 
agony,  of  a  desperate  heart,  which  relieved  itself  by 
curses.  He  cursed  his  home,  his  brother's  wife,  and 
called  her  'murderess!  '  Oh,  God,  sir,  I  do  not  remem- 
ber it  myself  now.  I  stood  there  silent  and  rigid,  and 
then  suddenly  the  door  flew  open,  and  the  baroness 
rushed  out  and  ran  like  a  hunted  woman  along  the  cor- 
ridor and  down  the  stairs;  she  looked  terribly,  and, 
downstairs,  as  if  seeking  a  support,  she  threw  her  arms 
round  the  pillars,  and  sunk  to  the  ground  unconscious. 
I  can  still  see  her — the  white,  crushed  form,  and  how 
Sanna  followed  her,  screaming,  and  carried  her  away 
in  her  arms.  And  almost  at  the  same  moment  Fanny 
was  pushed  out,  and  the  baron  stood  in  the  doorway. 
'My  horse!  '  commanded  he,  in  a  hoarse  voice,  and  as 
I  hurried  downstairs  Fanny  ran  down  the  hall,  her 
hands  before  her  face,  and  rushed  out  into  the  night 
and  the  storm.  I  brought  the  baron's  horse  before  the 
door;  he  swung  himself  up,  with  a  pale,  distorted  face; 
the  poor  animal,  it  gave  a  great  leap,  he  pressed  the 
spurs  into  its  sides  so  deeply;  then  he  galloped  away 
so  that  I  thought  an  accident  would  happen ;  and  then 
suddenly  he  came  back.  I  still  stood  on  the  front 
steps,  in  the  wind  and  storm,  and  heard  the  horse's 
hoof-beats  coming  nearer  and  nearer. 

"'Listen,  Henry,'  said  he;  'go  to  my  old  mother, 
and  tell  her  good-by  for  me;  she  will  never  see  me 
again — I  will  spare  her  the  sight  of  an  unhappy  man. ' 
The  last  I  scarcely  understood — the  storm  blew  it  away 
or  his  voice  broke  with  tears,  I  do  not  know;  he  gave 
me  his  hand,  and  then  he  was  gone,  sir,  and  never 
came  back  again 


336  A  Maiden's  Choice.  ■ 

"  But  Fanny  I  saw  once  more ;  she  lay  out  there  on  the 
place  under  the  old  trees,  on  her  knees,  and  as  she  heard 
him  ride  away  in  the  gloomy,  strange  night,  she 
screamed  so  shrilly  that  I  ran  down  to  her.  And  there, 
sir,  I  found  a  poor,  unhappy  creature,  who  wished  to 
kill  herself  in  remorse  and  misery;  and  then  I  saw  that 
she  was  not  so  bad,  and  I  consoled  her  in  her  grief — 
well,  and  then  she  told  me  that  Baron  Fritz  and  the 
beautiful  Lisette  had  been  separated,  and  that  she  had 
died  because  she  had  believed  that  he  was  untrue  to 
her,  and — that  is  all  that  I  know. 

"One  thing  more,"  he  began,  after  a  pause,  during 
which  the  young  man  before  him  had  continued  silent, 
with  gloomy,  frowning  brow;  "  this  belongs  to  it:  That 
evening,  as  I  once  more  went  down  the  stairs,  just  on 
the  same  spot  where  the  baroness  had  fallen  down, 
something  gold  sparkled.  I  picked  it  up  and  looked 
at  it  by  the  light  of  the  great  lamp  which  hung  there 
on  the  stairs.  It  was  a  little  gold  heart,  and  on  it  was 
engraved,  'L.  E. '  I  turned  the  thing  over  on  all  sides; 
that  was  certainly  what  the  baron  had  looked  for  so 
diligently.  But  how  came  it  here?  But  before  I  could 
consider,  Sanna  stood  beside  me,  and  looked  over  my 
shoulder;  and  at  the  same  moment,  with  her  spindle 
fingers,  she  had  snatched  the  thing  from  me  and  run 
away.  I  was  angry,  and  hurried  after  her  to  the 
baroness's  rooms;  then  she  flew  in  like  the  wind,  and 
the  bolt  was  immediately  shot.  I  only  heard  many 
exclamations  in  Italian,  which  sounded  very  joyous, 
and  immediately  after  the  lady's  voice;  then  all  was 
quiet. 

"  At  that  time,  sir,  I  did  not  know  what  to  make  of 
it,  but  afterwards,  gradually  all  became  clear  to  me, 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  337 

and  gradually  also  what  Baron  Fritz,  in  his  grief  for 
his  dead  love,  had  called  down  upon  the  house  was  ful- 
filled. Terrible  times  came,  sir — terrible  times;  but 
the  tower  room  has  remained  locked  to  this  day,  and 
he  who  once  occupied  it  never  returned.  It  was  a  pity 
about  him,  lieutenant — a  sad  pity;  he  was  cheated  out 
of  all  his  happiness " 

"  You  think,  Henry,  that  my  grandmother  really " 

The  young  man's  voice  sounded  constrained. 

"Oh,  sir,  it  does  not  become  me  to  believe  any  evil 
of  my  mistress.  I  have  no  proof  that  B^ron  Fritz  had 
a  right  to  utter  the  fearful  curses;  but  this  I  know  very 
well,  that  the  baroness  had  not  been  on  good  terms 
with  him  for  a  long  time,  because — well,  he  once  inter- 
fered in  her  affairs;  then,  too,  she  was  horribly  proud. 
At  no  price  would  she  have  acknowledged  the  miller's 
Lisette  as  her  sister-in-law,  and  therefore,  lieutenant — 
no  harm — I  may  surely  tell  you.  I  have  seen  you  lie 
in  your  cradle,  and  watched  you  grow  up.  Do  not  be 
vexed  with  me — Lieschen " 


"  Is  my  betrothed,  Henry " 

"  Sir,  I  know  it ;  and  was  glad  when  I  saw  you  both, 
as  I  never  believed  I  should  be  glad  again.  Ah,  sir, 
cherish  your  betrothed,  and  do  not  let  her  out  of  your 
sight.  It  worries  one  to  think  of  such  a  young  creature 
up  here  in  the  castle.  Pardon  me,  baron!  My  heart 
forced  me  to  say  this  to  you.  She  is  so  like  Lisette — 
especially  the  very  same  eyes,  just  so  blue  and  deep  and 
clear,  and  just  the  same  expression  in  th^m.  Such 
eyes  one  never  forgets.  God  grant  them  tears  of  joy 
only!" 

The  old  man's  voice  was  moved  as  he  now  went  out, 
and  his  "good  night !"  sounded  indistinct  to  Army; 
22 


33^  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


but  he  did  not  think  of  it.  They  also,  these  blue, 
childish  eyes,  rose  to  his  mind,  but  so  pained,  so  timid, 
and  so  indescribably  sad,  as  he  had  seen  them  this 
evening. 

"  The  same  eyes,"  he  repeated,  half  aloud;  "  the  same 
expression!"  but  he  looked  over  at  the  picture  of  the 
beautiful  Agnes  Mechthilde.  The  light  burned  low — 
it  only  flickered  occasionally,  unsteadily;  and  the  red, 
luxuriant  hair  disappeared  in  the  dull  light — only  the 
two  dark,  sad  eyes  looked  unchangeably  out  of  the 
pale  face  at  the  young  man,  so  steeped  in  misery,  so 
timidly,  as  if  they  sought  a  lost  happiness. 


XIX. 

The  following  morning  Army  went  to  the  mill.  His 
future  father-in-law  had  desired  an  interview  with  him. 
He  did  not  see  Lieschen ;  Auntie,  who  came  out  of  the 
kitchen  and  opened  the  door  of  the  miller's  room  for 
him,  upon  his  questioning  her,  answered  that  the  young 
girl  was  still  asleep,  and  a  little  bit  of  rest  was  very 
necessary,  and  would  be  beneficial  when  one  had  cried 
the  whole  night  long. 

A  deep  shadow  was  on  his  face  when  he  entered  the 
room;  he  had  longed  to  see  Lieschen  since  yesterday 
evening,  and  the  thought  that  she  had  wept  the  whole 
night  made  his  heart  very  heavy.  He  had  to  wait  some 
moments.  Mr.  Erving  was  in  his  office,  and  involun- 
tarily Army's  glance  wandered  over  the  room.  It  was 
very  comfortable,  with  its  dark  carpet,  the  green  furni- 
ture and  hangings.  On  a  massive  writing-desk  stood  a 
portrait;  it  was  a  photograph  of  Lieschen  as  a  child. 
The  dear  little  face  gazed  out  upon  the  world  so  naively 
and  roguishly;  so  had  he  known  her — the  long,  brown 
braids,  there  they  were  again.  He  took  up  the  picture 
to  see  it  more  closely,  and  still  held  it  in  his  hand 
when  now  Mr.  Erving  entered. 

The  face  of  the  stately  man  wore  an  expression  un- 
usual to  it  of  care  and  weariness;  he  could  scarcely 
have  slept  the  night  before.  "  Pardon  that  I  kept  you 
waiting,"  he  began,  giving  the  young  man  his  hand; 
"  I  found  quite  a  number  of  business  matters,  because 


340 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


yesterday,  and  for  the  first  time,  I  was  not  there  punc- 
tually. Sit  down,"  said  he,  "and  let  us  at  once  pro- 
ceed to  our  affairs.  The  sooner  the  better.  I  will  not 
speak  useless  words,"  he  continued,  and  drew  a  chair 
to  the  desk.  "  First  of  all,  I  think  we  had  better  both 
go  to  your  garrison,  in  order  to  arrange  matters  there; 
then  you  can  hand  in  your  resignation — you  must  not 
take  it  amiss  in  me  to  desire  this  so  positively!  She  is 
my  only  child" — his  voice  trembled  at  these  words — 


"and  I  wish  to  at  least  keep  her  near  me — under  my 
protection." 

Army  bowed  assent,  but  the  blood  rushed  hotly  to  his 
cheeks. 

"  It  will  be  hard  for  you?"  asked  Mr.  Erving.  | 

"  No!  "  replied  the  young  man  firmly. 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  341 

"I  desire  nothing  unreasonable,"  continued  the 
miller.  "You  know  that  my  family  have  purchased  a 
considerable  share  of  the  neighboring  land  which 
formerly  belonged  to  yours.  Now,  Lieschen  is  our 
only  child,  and  I  have  considered  with  my  wife  that  it 
would  be  best  for  you  to  be  again  what  your  fathers 
were — namely,  Lord  of  Derenberg.  I  have  already 
written  this  morning  to  Hellwig  how  things  stand,  and 

requested  him  to  meet  me  at  S ,  principally  with 

the  view  to  discovering  how  much  of  the  estate  of  your 
ancestors  which  is  in  no  good  hands  can  be  purchased 
back,  in  order  to  join  it  to  the  rest.  Let  us  hope 
that  we  will  succeed  in  acquiring  the  greater  part.  So 
that  is  what  I   intend  doing.      From  you,  therefore,  I 

expect  that "  He  suddenly  broke  off;  then  he  went 

to  the  desk  and  looked  among  the  papers. 

"I  did  not  give  my  consent  with  a  light  heart" — he 
turned  again  to  the  young  man,  and  his  voice  sounded 
soft  and  gentle — "  for  I  feared  that  my  daughter  would 
have  many  humiliations  to  bear;  but  she  would  not 
have  it  otherwise;  she  would  be  sick  and  miserable  if 
you  went  away.  I  really  know  you  only  from  your 
childhood,  for  you  have  not  entered  my  house  as  a 
young  man;  but  the  little  that  I  know  of  you  is  not 
exactly  calculated  to  make  me  give  you  my  unlimited 
confidence.  You  have  until  now  walked  faithfully  in 
the  footsteps  of  your  grandmother,  who  sees  in  people 
of  my  rank  very  inferior  creatures.  Your  ancestors — 
that  I  know — thought  otherwise.  I  have  now  given  you 
the  dearest  that  we — my  invalid  wife  and  I — possess  in 
the  whole  world ;  and  therefore  I  demand  that  you  pro- 
tect my  child  and  cherish  her.  I  do  not  wish  her  to  be 
treated  by  your  grandmother  as  your  unhappy  mother 


342  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


was.  This  promise  I  can  desire  of  you,  and  you  must 
give  it  to  me  now.  As  soon  as  I  see  tears  in  the  eyes 
of  my  child,  I  make  you  responsible  for  them.  Can 
you  promise  to  do  everything  to  protect  my  child  from 
the  arrogance  of  that  woman  ? "  He  held  out  his  hand 
to  him. 

The  young  officer  stood  motionless,  and  gazed  at  the 
floor.  He  felt  as  if  he  must  embrace  as  a  father  this 
man  who  so  generously  gave  him  his  dearest  treasure 
in  the  world,  who  spoke  so  kindly  to  him.  And  still 
something  deeply  humiliating  weighed  upon  him  like 
a  mountain. 

"  Lieschen  shall  never  regret  that  she  saved  me  from 
a  dark  future,"  said  he,  as  he  seized  the  hand,  and  the 
tremor  of  his  voice  betrayed  how  deeply  the  elder  man's 
words  had  touched  him.  "  I  shall  know  how  to  protect 
her  in  every  manner — even  from  my  grandmother.  I 
am  indeed  warned." 

"  I  believe  you,"  said  Mr.  Erving;  "  and  now,  for  the 
moment,  we  have  nothing  more  to  say  to  each  other.  I 
am,  besides,  very  busy,  as  we  must  leave  this  evening. " 

"I  will  be  ready,"  assured  Army.  "I  also  have 
something  important  to  discuss  with  my  grandmother. " 

Erving  gave  a  quick,  penetrating  glance  at  the  face 
of  the  young  man  before  him.  It  seemed  calm;  only 
his  eyes  sparkled  excitedly. 

"Do  not  let  yourself  be  carried  away,"  admonished 
Mr.  Erving,  and  laid  his  hand  on  Army's  shoulder. 
"She  is,  and  remains,  the  mother  of  your  father;  and 
one  must  respect  age.  I  desire  nothing  more  than  that 
she  does  not  make  my  child  unhappy — for  the  rest,  she 
may  act  as  she  will.  So,  calmness,  Army,  do  you  hear? 
She  is  an  old  woman. " 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  343 

It  was  the  first  time  that  he  had  called  the  young 
officer  by  his  given  name.  Army  glanced  at  him,  quite 
touched.  That  was  the  man  of  whom  he  had  once  in 
his  foolish  pride  said  he  could  not  associate  under  his 
roof,  and  now  he  cared  for  him  like  a  father.  He 
now  owed  him  everything  —  everything  —  his  whole 
future.  . 

"  Now  go.  Army!  "  said  he,  as  the  young  man  seized 
his  hand  and  pressed  it  silently,  "and  this  evening  we 
will  leave.     Go — and,  once  more — moderation." 

He  went  away  as  if  in  a  dream.  Up  there  at  the  end 
of  the  walk  rose  the  castle,  and  the  imposing  arms- 
adorned  portal.  He  gazed  at  it  for  a  moment,  only  to 
look  away  again  immediately.  He  seemed  to  himself 
so  small,  so  contemptible,  to-day. 

He  raised  his  head,  and  his  face  wore  an  expression 
of  determination  as  he  now  mounted  the  stairs  which 
led  to  his  grandmother's  room.  Then  Nelly  came  to 
meet  him;  her  eyes  sparkled  like  sunlight. 

"How  is  Lieschen,  Army?"  asked  she,  and  standing 
on  one  step,  threw  both  arms  round  his  neck.  He 
looked  in  her  laughing  face — she  was  so  happy  about 
her  new  sister. 

"Will  you  do  me  a  favor,  little  one?"  asked  he,  and 
stroked  back  the  curls  from  her  forehead.  She  nodded 
willingly. 

"Then  go  to  her — yes?  But  soon,  at  once,  and  tell 
her  I  send  greeting,  and  she  must  not  cry  any  more.  I 
beg  her  very  earnestly — do  you  hear?"  He  hurriedly 
loosened  her  little  hands,  and  turned  away,  as  he  read 
an  astonished,  questioning  expression  upon  her  face. 
"Only  go  soon!  "  he  called  back;  "and  stay  with  hei 
•I  while.      I  now  have  to  speak  with  grandmamma." 


344  ^  Maiden' s  Choice. 


In  the  corridor  Sanna  hurried  past  him;  her  bow  was 
somewhat  pert. 

"  Can  I  speak  with  grandmamma  now  ?  "  asked  he. 

"I  was  already  twice  in  your  room,  baron,"  replied 
she.     "Your  grandmamma  is  waiting  impatiently." 

He  walked  quickly  past  her  and  entered.  The  old 
lady  sat  in  her  usual  place  beside  the  fire;  she  nodded 
slightly,  and  motioned  to  a  chair.  "You  have  kept  me 
waiting  a  long  time,"  said  she. 

"  I  had  a  necessary  interview  with  my  future  father- 
in-law,"  replied  he,  sitting  down.  "He  was  so  kind 
as  to  communicate  to  me  his  plans  for  our  future." 

"  So  the  experiment  has  succeeded  ? "  asked  she,  using 
his  own  words.  "Well,  in  any  case,  you  have  not 
exchanged  rings;  so  we  can  still  talk  over  the  affair." 
He  made  an  impatient  movement.  "You  will  please 
permit  me  to  say  a  few  more  words  to  you  ? "  asked 
she. 

Army  bowed  slightly,  and  his  eyes  suddenly  rested 
upon  a  letter  which  the  slender  fingers  of  his  grand- 
mother held.  He  knew  this  heavy  cream-colored 
paper,  and  suddenly  the  blood  rushed  madly  to  his 
heart. 

"First,"  began  the  old  lady,  and  took  from  a  little 
table  near  her  a   second  letter,  "  here  is  a  very  kind 

letter  from  the  Duke  of  R .     He  wishes  to  become 

acquainted  with  your  affairs,  and  promises  me  to  inter- 
est himself  for  you  in  every  manner.  That  is  a  promise 
the  extent  of  which,  let  us  hope,  you  know  how  to  ap- 
preciate. Your  position  as  officer  is  assured;  your 
career  undoubted."  She  looked  at  him  penetratingly. 
"  My  advice  is  that  you  end  this  absurd  farce  down 
there  in  the  mill,  and  immediately  travel  to  B .*' 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  345 

"Grandmamma,"  replied  he  calmly,  "that  cannot 
possibly  be  your  serious  opinion." 

"It  is — certainly!"  she  assured  him.  "You  have 
rushed  with  full  sails  into  the  most  obscure  circum- 
stances, and  I  should  like  to  save  you  from  them  in  a 
manner  suitable  to  your  rank." 

"  Suitable  to  my  rank  ? "  he  asked.  "  Hardly.  The 
circumstances  which  I  enter  are  the  best  to  be  found." 

"  Perhaps  as  partner  to  your  father-in-law — rag-miller 
No.  2!     Eh?" 

"Pray,  grandmamma,  let  us  drop  the  subject.  I  will 
never  withdraw  my  word,  even  if  your  proposal  could 
allure  me — but  so  much  the  less,  as  I  do  not  trace  the 
slightest  inclination  to  withdraw. " 

"Then  I  leave  the  house!"  cried  she  angrily,  "be- 
fore your  wife  sets  her  foot  in  it. " 

"  I  should  be  very  sorry,  grandmamma.  With  a  lit- 
tle kindness  and  pleasantness,  you  could  make  good  so 
much.  In  truth,  if  you  behave  to  the  family  of  my 
betrothed  and  to  her  herself  as  you  began  yesterday,  it 
is " 

"Better  that  I  go?"  asked  she.  "Good,  Army,  I 
will.      See,  here  is  away." 

She  held  the  cream-colored  note  before  his  eyes;  he 
recognized  the  dainty  writing  of  his  faithless  fiance'e; 
involuntarily  he  stepped  back.  "Blanche?"  said  he 
dully;  "  she  writes  to  you?" 

"  Do  you  know  what  she  writes  to  me  ?  She  asks  me 
to  accompany  her  on  a  trip  to  Italy,  because  the  colonel 
is  prevented  by  duties  from  going  with  her.  I  should 
prefer  to  throw  this  scrawl,  with  the  sweet,  flattering 
words,  in  her  face;  but  under  these  circumstances  there 
is  no  other  way.     I  accept  her  offer. " 


346  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"  You  would — you  could  do  that  ?  You  could  go  to 
her  who  deceived  me,  grandmamma?"  asked  the  young 
man,  and  took  her  hand. 

"  There  is  nothing  else  left  me.  I  cannot  associate 
with  those  people  down  there.  I  will  not,  and  I  shall 
not,"  asserted  she. 

"  Then  it  is  really  better  that  you  go,"  said  he  softly, 
and  turned  away. 

"So  that  is  the  thanks  for  all  my  love?  That  the 
fulfilment  of  all  the  hopes  which  I  had  placed  in  you!  " 
she  burst  forth.  "Incredible!  When  I  think  of  you 
there  on  a  writing-stool,  in  the  office  of  your  father-in- 
law,"  she  continued,  breathlessly,  "writing,  and  keep- 
ing books — you,  who  so  foolishly  close  your  ears  to  the 
prospect  of  a  brilliant  career "  ' 

"  I  must  have  been  contented  if  my  father-in-law  had 
assigned  me  to  a  writing-stool ;  but  he  has  done  better 
for  me.  Lieschen  brings  me  as  dowry  our  old  family 
estate.     I  shall  again  be  Baron  of  Derenberg." 

He  had  spoken  slowly,  and  emphasized  each  word. 

She  turned  around  with  a  start ;  her  great  eyes  looked 
at  him  as  if  veiled,  as  if  she  did  not  believe  his  words, 

"  Purchased  dearly  enough !  "  she  uttered  with  diffi- 
culty. 

"How  so?" 

"  Because  you  will  be  chained  forever  to  a  wife  at 
whom  those  of  your  own  rank  shrug  their  shoulders; 
and,  finally,  whom  you  do  not  love,  whom  you  will 
never  love! " 

"Who  tells  you  that?  '  asked  he,  and  a  slight  smile 
played  about  his  mouth.  "Is  the  last  so  impossible? 
I  should  think  you  would  know  from  your  own  experi- 
ence that  such  does  not  lie  beyond  the  bounds  of  possi- 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  347 

bility.  Think  of  the  vanished  Great-uncle  Fritz,  and 
the  beautiful  Lisette " 

The  old  lady  did  not  answer;  she  seated  herself  with 
a  violent  movement  in  the  arm-chair,  and  her  fingers 
crushed  Blanche's  letter;  but  her  face  had  grown  pale — 
as  pale  as  the  lace  on  her  cap. 

"  My  brother-in-law  never  thought  of  marrying  the 
girl,"  said  she,  at  length.  "I  must  protect  him  from 
that.  It  was  such  a  love-affair  as  cavaliers  have  by 
the  dozen.  The  knowledge  of  this  story  should  restrain 
you  from  the  foolish  idea  of  making  a  girl  from  that 
house  your  wife!  " 

"  Oh,  not  at  all ;  on  the  contrary,  if  anything  could 
strengthen  me  in  my  resolution,  it  is  this.  I  will  thus 
make  good  what  senseless  arrogance  and  ignoble  re- 
venge once  destroyed." 

"  These  dark  insinuations  are  perfectly  incomprehen- 
sible to  me,"  she  interrupted  him,  and  rose  excitedly. 
"  Your  grandfather's  brother  was  a  man  who  possessed 
no  control  over  himself,  who  led  a  loose,  dissolute  life. 
He  has  disappeared — God  knows  where.  He  was  a 
deceiver,  who  knew  how  to  conceal  his  frivolous  dispo- 
sition excellently  under  the  mask  of  an  honest,  honor- 
able exterior.  I  am  sorry  that  you  have  let  a  legend 
be  imposed  upon  you  in  which  this  moralizing  hussar 
officer,  together  with  that  Lisette,  play  the  roles  of 
saints.  But  just  because  already  such  unsuitable  rela- 
tions have  occurred  once  between  us  and  those  people 
down  there — which,  God  be  thanked,  would  be  shattered 
by  closer  inspection — therefore,  I  repeat  to  you,  that 
neither  now  nor  ever  will  I  look  upon  the  girl  as  your 
betrothed;  neither  now  nor  ever  will  I  give  her  my 
hand;  and  if  you  persist  in  your  determination — good! 


348 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


I  will  go — I  know  now  where."  She  raised  Blanche's 
letter.  "And  although  it  will  be  hard  for  me  to  take 
this  step  to  her  who  deceived  you,  I  prefer  it  to  the  idea 


of  living   in   the  house  with   this  person."     Her  lips 
trembled,  and  her  eyes  sparkled  with  rage. 

"  Good ;  then  go,  grandmamma.  I  am  sorry  that 
it  comes  so,  but  you  would  have  the  fullest  right  to  say 
that  I  was  no  man,  but  a  weak  dreamer  whose  arm  the 
little  bit  of  misfortune  had  paralyzed,  if  I  changed  my 
resolution.  As  a  man  of  honor,  I  cannot;  but  also  I  do 
not  wish  to,  because  I  am  not  so  foolish  as  to  throw 
away  a  whole  future  full  of  happiness."  At  the  last 
words  a  light  shone  from  his  eyes  which  completely  ban- 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  349 

ished  the  gloomy  expression  with  which  he  had  looked 
at  the  old  lady. 

"You  yourself  tell  me  to  go?"  asked  the  old  lady 
breathlessly. 

**  No,  grandmamma,  I  should  prefer  to  see  you  living 
on  peacefully  in  my  house;  but  as  you  place  the  choice 
before  me — you  or  she — from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  I 
can  only  say,  my  betrothed !  " 

*' Good!  "  replied  she.  ''I  go;  and  were  you  to  go 
on  your  knees  to  me,  and  you  all  together  to  beg  me, 
wringing  your  hands,  I  should  be  firm — I  will  still  go.  It 
is  disgraceful,  it  is  unheard  of,  to  drive  an  old  woman 
from  her  home!"  With  trembling  haste  she  pulled  the 
bell-rope,  and  began  to  open  different  drawers  of  her 
writing-table — letters,  boxes,  little  jewel  cases,  flew  out 
in  wild  confusion. 

"  I  beg  you,  grandmamma,  who  drives  you  away  ? " 
said  he  calmly.  "  I  repeat  to  you.  I  should  prefer  you 
to  stay;  we  all  would  try  to  make  your  life  pleasant; 
it  is  wholly  in  your  power  to  stay;  my  betrothed " 

"  Do  not  finish  the  word !  "  she  cried,  and  stamped 
her  foot.  "  I  will  not  hear  it !  No  one  here  has  ever 
loved  me.  I  have  never  been  understood :  and  you,  in 
whom  all  my  hopes  were  centred,  you  are  like  all  the 
rest — pitiably  plebeian,  not  worthy  of  bearing  an  old 
name! " 

The  hot,  southern  temperament  broke  out  unrestrain- 
edly, and  her  hands  fumbled  convulsively  in  the 
drawers  and  collected  everything  in  the  most  furious 
haste,  as  if  they  were  to  be  saved  from  fire. 

"  My  travelling  trunks!"  she  commanded  Sanna,  upon 
her  entrance.  "  Pack  up  your  things  tew.  We  are 
going  away." 


35° 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


At  this  moment  a  little  shining  object  flew  over  the 
carpet  and  remained  lying  at  Army's  feet.  He  picked 
it  up  and  looked  at  it.  It  was  a  little  gold  heart, 
scratched  and  dull,  and  on  it  were  engraved  the  letters, 
"L.  E. "  He  stared  at  it  for  a  long  time.  But  the 
excited  woman  did  not  notice  it.  She  arranged  the 
letters  with  feverish  haste.  Near  her  already  lay  a  pile 
of  crumpled  papers,  and  again  and  again  the  trembling 
hands  crushed  letters  and  other  papers,  and  threw  them 
down.  It  was  impossible  for  him  to  say  a  word;  he 
only  went  up  to  her  and  held  out  the  little  gold  heart. 
Her  eyes  rested  upon  it,  and  then  she  suddenly  leaned 
heavily  against  the  table;  the  flush  disappeared  from 


her  cheeks,  and  a  deathly  pallor  spread  over  her  face. 
Not  a  sound  broke  the  silence;  only  the  little  images 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  351 

on  the  writing-table  rattled  softly,  the  baroness's 
trembling  form  leaned  so  heavily  against  it. 

"  I  have  no  right  to  reproach  you,"  said  he,  at  length, 
and  drew  back  the  hand  which  held  the  little  object. 
"  You  are  the  mother  of  my  father,  and — besides,  it 
would  be  useless.  But  I  will  try  doubly  to  make  good 
to  my  betrothed  your  sin  against  a  young,  lovely  crea- 
ture. God  grant  that  I  may  succeed!"  He  turned 
to  go. 

Then  Sanna  barred  his  way.  "  What  do  you  want  of 
my  mistress?"  cried  she.  "I  took  the  golden  amulet 
from  Baron  Fritz.  I  alone  did  it;  my  signora  is  inno- 
cent. Drive  me  away,  sir,  but  do  not  take  her  home 
away  from  her,  the  only  place  where  she  can  lay  her 
head!"  The  old  woman  had  slipped  to  the  floor,  and 
stretched  out  her  hands  to  him  in  supplication,  and 
tears  shone  in  the  cold,  gray  eyes. 

"I  do  not  send  your  mistress  away,"  said  the  young 
man,  touched  by  the  fidelity  of  the  harsh  old  creature; 
"  on  the  contrary,  I " 

"Stand  up!"  commanded  the  baroness,  excitedly, 
"and  do  what  I  tell  you.  Not  another  word;  I  leave 
to-day!" 

*^  Misericordia  !  "  sobbed  the  old  woman,  in  her  great 
terror,  and  seized  the  folds  of  the  black  dress  of  her 
mistress.  "  Let  me  go  with  you,  Signora  Eleonora!  I 
shall  die  without  you." 

He  looked  at  the  imperious  form  which  stood  there 
in  the  middle  of  the  room,  her  head  thrown  proudly 
back,  sorrowfully.  The  black  eyes  gazed  at  him 
sharply  and  hostilely,  as  if  a  strange  beggar  stood 
before  her  whom  she  wished  to  turn  away.  He  had 
always  so  loved,  so  admired,  her,  his  beautiful  grand- 


352  A  Maiden*  s  Choice, 


mother;  even  now,  when  the  nimbus  with  which  he 
had  once  surrounded  her  had  disappeared — even  now 
this  love  remained  victorious.  He  forgot  her  imperi- 
ous nature,  her  roughness;  he  only  saw  the  proud, 
imposing  woman  who  had  once  brought  him  up  with 
idolatrous  tenderness. 

"Grandmamma,"  begged  he,  and  took  a  step  nearer; 
"  let  what  once  happened  be  forgotten !  I  offer  you  my 
hand;  nothing  here  shall  remind  you  of  the  past " 

"  Go !"  commanded  she  shortly,  and  her  hand  mo- 
tioned him  a  farewell,  in  her  proud  and  yet  so  grace- 
ful manner.  "Go!  I  wish  to  be  alone.  I  have  yet 
much  to  arrange." 

He  went  up  to  her.  "Farewell!"  said  he;  "and  if 
you  are  ever  homesick,  then  come.     You  will " 

"Adieu!"  she  interrupted,  and  drew  away  the  hand 
which  he  wished  to  draw  to  his  lips.  "You  have 
chosen."     She  turned  her  back  to  him. 

"Oh,  the  curse!  the  curse!  Oh,  dio  tnio!"  sobbed 
the  old  woman,  who  still  knelt  on  the  floor,  wringing 
her  hands. 

"  Fool !"  he  heard  his  grandmother  say,  then  the  door 
was  locked  between  him  and  her. 


XX. 


The  last  day  in  the  old  year!  Is  there  not  soi^ething 
solemn  and  sad  in  it?  It  is  a  farewell  mood  which  the 
human  heart  feels,  and  a  shy  retrospection  and  ques- 
tioning. What  did  the  old  year  give  us,  how  much 
it  took  from  us,  and  what  will  the  new  year  bring? 
Joy  or  pain,  happiness  or  hard  losses? 

There  is  a  time  in  which  one  does  not  ask  such  ques- 
tions— a  time  in  which  one  believes  that  each  day  of 
the  future  must  be  more  and  more  beautiful,  when  the 
garden  of  our  dreams  bears  numbers  of  lovely  blossoms, 
and  one  awaits  in  blissful  impatience  the  bursting  of 
the  buds,  in  order  to  steep  himself  in  a  faify-like  splen- 
dor of  flowers;  but  time  passes,  bud  after  bud  falls 
withered  to  the  earth,  and  only  a  few  blossom,  alone 
and  tremblingly,  lest  the  rough  breeze  which  killed 
their  sisters  disturb  them  also.  And  whoever  saw  such 
blossoms  fall  stands  with  sad,  questioning  heart  at  the 
gate  of  the  new  year,  and  apprehensively  folds  his 
hands  and  involuntarily  asks — What  will  the  future 
bring  me?  Will  the  buds  of  our  hopes  wither  or  blos- 
som ?  It  is  sad  when  young  hearts  must  already  ask 
these  questions — when  a  frost  in  spring  has  scattered 
all  this  sunny  splendor  of  blossoms  with  their  promise  of 
happiness. 

It  was  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when 
uneasiness  drove  Lieschen  to  the  castle.  Army  had 
been  away  with  her  father  for  four  days,  and  she  had 
23 


354  -^  Maiden's  Choice. 

received  no  news  of  him.  She  started  every  time  when 
the  old  postman  passed  the  house,  and  waited,  with 
anxiously  beating  heart,  for  Minnie  to  place  a  letter  in 
her  hands,  and  each  time  she  had  hoped  in  vain,  and 
bowed  her  head  sadly.  Why  should  he  write  ?  He  did 
not  love  her. 

And  to-day  was  the  last  of  the  year — a  day  which 
had  usually  been  such  a  happy  one  in  her  home — dear 
friends,  jest  and  gravity,  recollections  and  dreams  of 
the  future — and  to-day  ?  Father  not  at  home,  mother 
so  quiet.  Auntie  sad,  and  uncle  and  aunt  in  the  parson- 
age in  deep  affliction  for  their  darling.     And  she? 

Then  she  walked  up  the  path  to  the  castle.  She 
must  ask  whether  Nelly  or  his  mother  had  news  of  him. 
Her  father's  letter  had  been  so  short;  he  had  found 
everything  much  more  confused  than  he  had  thought, 
he  wrote;  and  when  he  would  return  was  yet  unsettled. 
No  greeting  from  him — not  a  word  for  her! 

She  must  hear  something  of  him  to-day.  As  she 
walked,  she  looked  through  the  bare  branches  of  the 
trees  to  the  portal,  vhich  was  just  visible.  Heavy, 
gray  clouds  hung  in  the  heavens,  and  an  unpleasant, 
warm  breeze  met  her.  In  the  dull  light  the  old  castle 
looked  mysteriously  gloomy — so  empty,  so  deserted,  a 
true  nest  of  misfortune,  as  Auntie  said.  How  many 
years  have  come  and  gone  over  these  old  roofs,  and 
how  many  will  yet  come  and  go;  and  what  will  they 
bring?  What  one  has  once  lost  never  returns;  and  she 
— she  had  lost  so  very,  very  much,  the  whole  wonderful 
spring-time  of  love!  Of  all  the  bright  blossoms,  only 
thorns  had  remained,  which  pressed  into  her  wounded 
heart.  No  sweet  happiness  at  the  side  of  the  beloved 
husband;  only  a  life  of  never  wearied  friendship,  a 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


355 


continual  self-forgetfulness;  only  painful   smiles,    but 
no  love  for  her.     And  for  this  reason,  also,  no  letter. 

Why  should  he  write  to  her?  She  remembered  how 
she  had  once  seen  her  mother  open,  with  a  happy  smile, 
a  package  of  old  letters  which  had  lain  carefully 
guarded  in  a  little  box.  "Your  father's  letters,"  she 
had  said,  when  the 
young  girl  asked  her, 
"  from  the  time  when 
we  were  betrothed. " 
What  happiness  had 
shone  in  her  mother's 
eyes !  She  would  never 
know  that.  She  pressed 
her  hands  together  on 
her  breast,  and  walked 
quickly  on. 

Now  she  left  the 
walk,  and  directed  her 
steps  across  the  open 
place;  there  a  carriage 
was  waiting  before  the 
side  door.  "  A  car- 
riage? How  came  a 
carriage    here  ?     Had 

Army But  no ;  then  her  father  would  have  come 

also." 

She  shook  her  head,  as  she  walked  round  the  carriage; 
it  was  a  forlorn  old  vehicle,  the  coachman  in  a  badly 
made  coat,  a  pair  of  heavy  field  horses  who  could 
scarcely  trot — certainly  a  conveyance  from  the  village. 
She  entered  the  castle,  and  suddenly  stood  still.  It 
seemed  to  her  that  she  heard  voices  and  steps.     It  was 


35 6  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


already  dark  in  the  long,  arched  passage;  only  on  the 
broad  steps  which  led  upstairs  a  faint  light  fell  through 
the  windows  of  the  landing;  again  she  drew  back 
hesitatingly. 

"You  did  not  wish  it  otherwise,"  she  heard  the 
somewhat  sharp  voice  of  the  old  baroness  say.  "  By 
Heaven!  I  find  tears  perfectly  superfluous,  Cornelia." 

The  young  girl  at  the  same  time  heard  a  rustling  of 
dresses  and  light  steps.  The  baroness  appeared  upon 
the  upper  step,  half  turning  back  to  her  daughter-in-law 
and  Nelly.  She  was  wrapped  in  a  velvet  and  fur 
mantle,  which  had  certainly  once  been  costly,  and  her 
proud  face  looked  out,  pale  as  marble,  from  a  black 
lace  shawl  which  she  had  wound  round  her  head. 

"  It  is  the  anxiety  about  you,  dear  mamma,"  said  the 
younger  baroness,  "in  this  weather!  And  you  are  so 
wholly  unaccustomed  to  the  discomforts  of  travelling." 

Travel?  She  was  going?  For  a  moment  a  feeling 
of  pure  joy  filled  Lieschen's  heart. 

"  The  necessary  consequences  of  your  actions,  Cor- 
nelia,"  was  the  reply.  "Meanwhile,  do  not  worry 
yourself!     I  am  not  yet  so  frail  that  I " 

"  It  has  come  too  quickly,  mamma — too  quickly." 

"  Too  quickly  ?  I  have  counted  the  moments  with 
impatience.  I  would  have  preferred  to  leave  in  the 
same  hour." 

"  It  will  be  very  hard  for  me  to  see  you  depart  with- 
out an  explanation." 

"  Without  an  explanation  ?  "  asked  the  old  lady.  "  I 
think  I  have  most  sought  an  explanation,  but  no  one 
would  understand  me.  Do  you  think  it  is  easy  for  me 
to  go?  At  this  moment  I  feel  the  sadness  with  all  its 
force,  whatever  sorrowful  times  I  have  lived  througa 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  357 

here.  But  to  remain  under  the  conditions  which  the 
future  master  of  Derenberg  exacted,  to  remain  and  lead 
the  life  which  he  offered  me,  at  the  price  of  sacrificing 
my  feelings  to  his  new,  certainly  not  at  all  aristocratic 
ideas — never!  I  am  still  of  the  old  school — noblesse 
oblige!" 

"She  is  going  on  my  account,"  whispered  the  young 
girl;  "she  is  going — — " 

"  I  believe  that  Army  left  with  the  sure  hope  of  finding 
you  here  still,  mamma,"  pleaded  the  daughter-in-law. 

The  old  lady  laughed  loudly.  "Z>/(7  mio !  you  are 
classic,  Cornelia!  You  tell  me  that  now  when  I  am 
about  to  get  into  the  carriage?  All  day  long  you  have 
tried  very  consequentially  not  to  mention  Army  by  a 
syllable.  He  knows  very  well  that  he  will  not  find  me, 
and  it  is  good  so.  I  will  not  see  him  again.  Why 
renew  the  copflipt  ?  He  has  completely  deprived  me  of 
all  pleasure  in  living  here  longer,  by  his  corrupt  ideas. 
A  man  who  refuses  an  offer  which  opens  the  doors  of  a 
brilliant  career  to  him,  all  that  a  young,  ambitious  man 
can  even  desire,  deserves  that  one  should  give  him  up." 

"  I  know — the  duke,  mamma,  but " 

"You  are  just  as  foolish  as  he,  Cornelia.  Not 
another  word;  these  explanations,  besides,  now,  at  the 
moment  of  departure,  are  too  late."  She  came  all  the 
way  downstairs. 

"Stay,  baroness,"  then  said  a  trembling  voice,  and  a 
girl's  pale  face  leaned  towards  her  in  the  twilight. 
"Stay!  it  is  not  yet  too  late;  if  it  is  so — I  give  Army 
back  his  freedom.     I  did  not  know  that  another  way 

had  opened  for  his  rescue "     She  was  silent,  and 

mechanically  clutched  at  the  carved  railing  of  the 
stairs.     The  dark  figure  of  the  old  lady  drew  back  from 


358  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


her  in  terror,  but  with  one  spring  Nelly  was  beside  her 
brother's  betrothed,  and  seized  her  hand. 

"What  are  you  saying,  Lieschen?"  asked  she. 
"  What  do  you  wish  to  do  ? " 

"You  should  have  thought  of  that  sooner,  my  child," 
said  the  old  lady  sharply.  "  Now  your  better  insight 
comes  too  late." 

"  I  wished  to  help  him — save  him,"  replied  she,  tone- 
lessly;  "but  never  would  I  stand  in  the  way  of  his 
happiness.  Oh,  surely  it  is  not  yet  too  late,  baroness!" 
cried  she  imploringly,  as  the  old  lady,  with  an  inimi- 
cably  proudly  thrown  back  head  wished  to  walk  past 
her.  "Stay  until  he  comes,  gracious  lady;  tell  him  he 
»ias  no  obligations  at  all  to  me!  I  myself  set  him  free, 
so  that  he  may  elsewhere  find  the  happiness  which  I 
cannot  give  him.  Oh,  stay!  stay!"  The  trembling 
hands  clutched  the  velvet  mantle.  "  I  know  he  does 
not  love  me!  "  The  sweet  voice  echoed  piteously  back 
from  the  high  walls. 

The  old  lady  did  not  shake  off  the  little  trembling 
hands;  she  stood  there  as  if  spellbound,  and  looked  at 
the  beautiful  face  which,  so  distorted,  gazed  up  at  her 
in  the  strange  twilight  of  the  dead  winter  day.  Her 
expression  did  not  change:  not  a  trace  of  pity  for  the 
anxious  child  shone  from  her  black  eyes,  not  a  word 
came  from  her  lips — she  let  herself  taste  that  fear  to  the 
last  drop.  ,, 

"  He  does  not  love  me! "  repeated  the  pale  lips,  and 
the  hands  slipped  down.     "Stay!     Stay!  " 

Then  a  hasty,  well-known  tread  resounded  through 
the  hall,  and  down  there  in  the  twilight  of  the  passage 
appeared  a  slender  man's  form.  The  young  girl  saw 
him  approach,  with  dry,  burning  eyes — he,  too,  came? 


A  Maiden^ s  Choice.  359 

She  must  find  him  here,  also?  Must  then  this  hour  be 
made  still  harder  for  her?  As  if  she  wished  to  see 
nothing  more,  so  as  to  remain  strong,  she  covered  her 
face  with  her  hands. 

"  What  is  going  on  here  ? " — his  voice  sounded  hasty 
and  excited  to  her  ear  now.     "  My  betrothed  is  crying  ?" 

His  betrothed!  How  indescribably  this  word  pained 
her!  Were  she  only  away  from  here,  a  thousand  miles 
away,  so  that  she  might  escape  this  torment! 

"  She  is  more  sensible  than  you,"  replied  the  old  lady. 
"  Once  more  you  stand  at  the  turning-point,  for  she  is 
ready  to  withdraw " 

"Because  you  have  made  it  plausible  for  her?"  was 
the  angry  answer.  "  Because  you  have  probably  insin- 
uated to  her  that  I  will  be  unhappy  with  her?  I  might 
have  thought  that  you  would  not  leave  a  moment  un- 
tried to  once  more  attempt  what  you  formerly  so  suc- 
cessfully accomplished!  " 

"No,  Army,"  his  mother  interrupted  him.  "  Lie- 
schen  accidentally  heard  that  grandmamma " 

"  What  did  you  hear,  Lieschen  ? "  asked  he,  putting 
his  arm  round  her,  and  bending  down  to  her.  How  soft 
his  voice  was,  all  at  once!  "Will  they,  then,  continu- 
ally assert  that  we  cannot  be  at  all  happy  together?" 

She  did  not  answer,  but  the  tears  now  rolled  from  her 
eyes,  and  fell  over  the  slender  fingers  which  still  cov- 
ered her  face.  She  did  not  see  how  anxiously  he 
looked  at  her ;  she  did  not  hear  the  old  lady  walk  on  with 
a  shrug  of  the  shoulders;  that  his  mother  and  Nelly 
followed  her — she  only  felt  again  the  hot,  burning  pain 
that  she  must  relinquish  him,  and  that  even  a  life  with- 
out love  at  his  side  was  yet  a  paradise  to  the  emptiness 
which  stared  at  her  if  she  renounced  him. 


360  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


"  Lieschen,"  he  begged.  "You  could  really  be  so — 
so  sensible  as  grandmother  just  asserted?" 

She  nodded. 

"Yes,  yes!  "  she  sobbed,  exerting  all  her  self-control. 
"  I  did  not  know  that  the  duke  would  help  you,  or 
else — oh,  or  else  I  would  never  have  come  here  to — 
I  thought — I — I  alone  could  save  you." 

"That  you  can  indeed,"  said  he  softly;  "you  alone 
can — no  one  else  in  all  the  wide  world." 

He  took  her  hands  from  her  face  and  looked  into  her 
tearful  eyes. 

"  Lieschen,  if  you  knew  how  very  anxious  I  am  about 
you " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"Oh,  yes — oh,  yes;  continually  a  pair  of  sad  blue 
eyes  rise  before  me,  and  a  long  past  mournful  story  of 
two  just  such  eyes,  which  died  of  grief  and  heartache. 
It  fills  me  with  horror  when  I  think  of  it;  and  my 
anxiety,  my  forebodings,  were  not  groundless.  I  almost 
came  too  late,  did  I  not?" 

"  No,  no.  Army;  it  is  compassion  in  you;  you  do  not 
know  what  you  throw  away — a  brilliant  life,  a  proud 
career.'  Leave  me!  It  is  not  yet  too  late!"  she  im- 
plored anxiously. 

"You  foolish  child!  I  know  very  well,  indeed,  what 
I  give  up;  but  I  also  know  what  I  win  thereby — the 
best,  the  noblest,  the  purest  that  the  world  contains." 

It  had  grown  quiet  in  the  old  arched  hallway — quiet 
and  dark ;  below,  a  carriage  just  clattered  over  the 
stone  pavement  of  the  castle  yard,  then  all  was  quiet 
again — only  a  mysterious  whispering.  The  last  day  of 
the  year  was  drawing  to  a  close — what  will  the  new 
year  bring?  1 


XXI. 

The  earth  was  adorned  with  all  its  spring-time  splen- 
dor. The  trees  and  bushes  wore  the  first  young  green. 
In  the  Ervings'  garden  bloomed  narcissi  and  elder;  the 
golden  rain  bent  over  the  hedge,  and  the  hawthorn's 
branches  bent  with  the  heavy  weight  of  pink  blossoms. 
In  the  park  the  mild  breeze  rocked  the  young  leaves  of 
the  linden  trees,  and  kissed  each  blade  of  grass  on  the 
broad,  green,  velvety  lawn,  as  if  it  would  tell  them  of 
new  pleasures  and  new  life.  And  new  happiness  and 
new  life  were  proclaimed  by  the  fountain,  which  rose, 
clear  as  crystal,  high  into  the  air  from  the  old  sand- 
stone basin,  and  fell  back  again,  foaming  and  bubbling. 
As  formerly,  long  years  ago,  the  massive,  heavy  doors 
of  the  portal  were  thrown  wide  open,  as  if  they  knew 
that  soon,  in  a  few  weeks,  the  happy  lord  of  the  castle 
would  lead  his  beautiful  young  wife  over  the  old 
threshold  of  his  fathers'  house.  The  green,  mossy  oar- 
pet  had  disappeared  from  the  steps,  and  the  two  old 
bears  looked  strangely  defiant  under  a  pair  of  neavy 
green  wreaths  of  oak  leaves  which  a  playful  hand  nad 
placed  upon  their  respectable  heads. 

The  long  rows  of  windows  in  the  castle  were  opened ; 
only  a  few   were  covered  by  thick  curtains.     These 
rooms  did  not  need  the  spring  sun,  for  their  occupant 
was  absent.     She  was  gone — really  gone.     Not  aft  eye 
lash  of  the  proud  face  had  quivered  as  she,  on  that  New 


364  A  Maiden's  Choice. 


Year's  eve,  got  into  the  miserable  carriage  which  took 
her  away  from  the  place  which  had  for  long  years  been 
her  home.  Coldly  and  lightly  her  lips  had  rested  upon 
the  foreheads  of  daughter-in-law  and  granddaughter. 
Did  she  know  that  in  the  last  moment  her  grandson 
had  preserved  for  himself  a  happiness  in  whose  radiance 
everything  else  faded  ? — and  so  she  closed  her  once  so 
much  admired  starry  eyes  as  she  drove  past  the  old 
portal,  and  clinched  her  delicate  hands,  while  Sanna 
leaned  sobbing  from  the  carriage — past!  past!  What 
will  the  coming  year  bring  her? 

And  now  the  young  baron  was  expected  back  every 
day.  He  had,  until  taking  possession  of  his  estate, 
been  staying  with  a  friend  of  his,  so  as  to  make  him- 
self acquainted  with  his  new  calling  without  loss  of 
time.  Upstairs,  in  the  little,  so  long  closed  tower 
room,  stood  Nelly,  with  old  Henry.  The  two  round 
windows  were  also  wide  open,  and  she  looked  out  over 
the  park,  with  a  happy  smile,  and  her  eyes  rested  on 
the  windows,  sparkling  in  sunlight,  of  the  paper  mill, 
which  lay  there  buried  in  an  abundance  of  flowers. 

"See,  Henry,"  cried  she;  "now  I  too  know  why  my 
brother  wrote  we  should  prepare  just  this  room  for 
him."  i 

"Oh,  yes;  there  is  quite  a  lovely  view  here,"  said 
the  old  man,  with  a  significant  smile  on  his  furrowed 
face.  "  The  baron  will  never  wish  to  give  it  up  when 
once  he  has  occupied  it." 

"But  it  is  very  pretty  here,"  said  the  young  girl, 
looking  about  her  in  the  little  round  room.  "How 
comfortable — and  the  view!" 

Henry  straightened  for  the  hundredth  time  a  couple 
of  old-fashioned  chairs  which  stood  near  a  little  oval 


-\:,i 


^rt»r^* 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  365 

table.  "  And  now  the  oak-leaf  garlands  on  the  door 
outside,  miss!  Then  he  can  come,  then  everything  is 
ready.  I  had  never  thought  that  I  should  live  to  see 
this,"  he  concluded,  and  shook  his  gray  head  happily. 
"  Things  turn  out  strangely  in  this  world,  miss — too 
strangely." 

In  the  mill,  everything  apparently  went  on  as  usual, 
only  the  mistress  of  the  house  had  been  absent  for  some 
weeks.  She  had  gone  to  Italy  with  the  inspector's  sick 
Bertha;  but  she  would  soon  return,  they  said,  strong 
and  well. 

But  Auntie  was  anxious  about  her  darling;  she  was 
a  too  quiet  betrothed,  she  said.  The  girl  sat  half  the 
day  looking  thoughtfully  and  dreamily  before  her;  she 
preferred  to  sit  alone  in  her  room  upstairs  and  let 
Auntie  torment  herself  with  the  heavy  piles  of  linen 
which  she  drew  out  of  the  old  chests  to  be  cut  up  and 
sewed.  "It  is  all  indifferent  to  her,"  she  murmured 
sadly  to  herself,  as  her  eyes  rested  upon  these  important 
treasures  of  every  housekeeper.  "  She  has  no  interest 
in  her  dowry,  the  poor  child;  she  renounces  so  much. 
She  does  not  know  how  it  is  when  one  is  loved  by  her 
sweetheart  with  all  his  heart."  But  every  evening 
since  that  New  Year's  eve  the  old  hands  were  folded 
in  a  prayer  of  thanks  that  the  old  baroness  was  gone. 

She  was  much  more  relieved,  the  old  woman,  now  that 
she  knew  this,  and  the  warm,  tender  love  which  the 
mother-in-law  and  Nelly  felt  for  the  young  girl.  This 
would  almost  have  reconciled  her  with  the  affair,  if 
only  Army 

And  again  a  May  evening  descended  upon  the  earth, 
fragrant  and  moonlit,  and  again  the  old  woman  sat  at 
the  window  of  her  little  room,  her  hands  folded,  and 


366  A  Maiden's  Choice. 

meditated.  She  thought  of  Lieschen's  mother  in  dis- 
tant Italy;  she  thought  of  the  proud,  restless  woman, 
who  now,  through  her  own  fault,  reviles  God  and  man. 
Her  thoughts  flew  back  to  her  long  vanished  youth,  to 
her  Christian  and  her  Lisette.  "  If  they  were  still 
alive!  If  they  knew  how  things  looked  here!  If  they 
knew  that  the  band  which  once  was  so  roughly  torn 
apart  now  should  be  united  again!  "  And  without,  the 
water  rushed  by  with  its  old  melody,  the  Black  Forest 
clock's  monotonous  tic-tac  sounded  between,  and  from 
the  yard  sounded  the  girls'  songs. 

"  Where  is  Lieschen  ? "  she  asked  herself.  "  Can  she 
have  received  a  letter  again  to-day?  Can  he  have 
written  when  he  is  coming  ? "  She  rose  and  tripped  out 
of  the  room:  the  moonbeams  fell  on  the  good  old  face 
and  the  snow-white  cap.  "Lieschen!  "  she  called  into 
the  sitting-room;  no  answer.  She  went  back  through 
the  dark  hall  and  up  the  stairs.  "  She  surely  is  not 
crying?"  thought  she.  She  looked  into  the  comfort- 
able, girlish  room;  not  a  trace  of  her.  Shaking  her 
head,  she  withdrew,  and  involuntarily  directed  her  steps 
to  another  door.  Softly  she  opened  it;  the  moon- 
light filled  the  little  room  with  a  white,  shining  radi- 
ance, and  in  this  silver  light  there  stood  a  light,  slen- 
der girlish  figure,  immovable,  and  looked  out  of  the 
window.  The  old  woman  stood  there  as  if  spellbound, 
and  looked  at  the  lovely  well-known  sight.  Was  it, 
then,  still  the  time  of  youth?  Was  it,  then,  again 
May  as  once  ? 

"He  is  coming,"  cried  a  sweet  voice  joyfully.  "He 
is  coming.  I  have  seen  the  light."  And  softly  and 
lightly  she  hurried  by  the  old  woman,  and  disappeared 
)ike  a  lovely  spectre.     And  rightly;  over  there  a  light 


A  Maiden's  Choice. 


367 


shone  in  the  little  tower  room;  she  leaned  against  the 
table  by  the  window,  and  stared  out  over  at  it.  Her 
youthful    dream    had   awaked   again.      "All-merciful 


God ! "  said   she  softly,  and  clasped  her  hands,  "  am 
I  dreaming — am  I  dreaming?" 

And  then  she  hurried  down.  With  hesitating  steps, 
she  went  out  of  the  house;  the  garden  lay  in  white 
moonlight,  and  an  intoxicating  perfume  of  flowers  met 
her.     She   wandered   on   as  once,    in   long,    long  past 


368  A  Maiden's  Choice, 

youth;  the  nightingales  sung  so  mysteriously,  and  from 
the  other  side  of  the  road,  in  vibrating  tones,  sounded 
the  monotonous  concert  of  the  frogs.  Now  she  crossed 
the  gravel  place  before  the  arbor — in  reality  there  was 
whispering  within.  Softly  she  crept  up  and  bent  back 
the  branches ;  there  they  sat  together  on  the  bench — she 
had  thrown  her  arm  round  his  neck  and  hidden  her  face 
on  his  breast,  and  he  kissed  again  and  again  her  brown 
hair,  and  called  her  the  tenderest  caressing  names. 
And  now  she  raised  her  face,  and  in  the  bright  moon- 
light which  fell  upon  them  the  old  woman  saw  a  pair 
of  large  blue  eyes,  which  clung,  with  an  expression 
of  the  purest  happiness,  to  his  face,  bent  down  to 
her. 

Carefully  she  dropped  the  branches  and  stepped 
back ;  she  had  seen  enough.  Softly,  softly  she  walked 
back  along  the  path,  and  occasionally  she  wiped  her 
eyes  with  the  corners  of  her  apron.  Under  the  linden 
trees  before  the  front  door  lay  deep  shadow;  she  seated 
herself  upon  the  sandstone  bench  and  looked  out  over 
the  garden,  with  tightly  clasped  hands;  and  her  old 
lips  murmured  a  warm  prayer  of  thanks.  What  she 
had  scarcely  ventured  to  hope,  was  no  dream — it  was 
reality! 

From  the  other  side  ot  tlie  water  sounded  a  fresh, 
girlish  voice  amid  all  the  spring  melodies.  A  light 
dress  shone  in  the  moonlight,  nearer  and  nearer  came 
the  song,  and  every  word  sounded  plainly  to  the  old 
woman's  ears: 

*'  Oh,  love  comes  softly  as  the  spring, 
Before  one  thinks  or  knows, 
And  charmeth  from  a  withered  thing 
The  sweetest,  reddest  rose. 


A  Maiden's  Choice.  369 


"  It  wakes  the  loveliest  melody 

In  hearts  which,  torn  with  strife, 
Had  thought  there  was  no  time  of  May, 
Nor  any  rose  in  life." 

"Lieschen!  Army!"  Nelly  called  loudly  into  the 
quiet  garden,  as  she  now  stood  under  the  linden  tree, 
"  where  are  you  ? " 

No  ansv/er — only  the  nightingales  sung  on. 

"Leave  them,  Nelly,"  said  an  old  voice  near  her, 
and  a  hand  drew  her  down  on  the  bench.  "  Let  them 
enjoy  the  May  time  and  the  roses.  So  many  storms 
came  before  they  could  bloom!  " 

And  the  moonlight  quivered  over  the  tree-tops;  the 
water  rushed  on,  and  the  nightingales  sung;  and 
"God  keep  for  them  the  roses  and  May !"  whispered 
once  more  the  old  woman's  voice — "the  roses  and 
May!" 


THE    ENSi 


A    DAUGHTER    OP 
THE  PHILISTINES 

By  LEONARD  MBRRICK 

**B  is  the  kind  one  longs  to  find  afta  faring 
many  and  not  meeting  satisfaction." — Times 
Union,  Albany, 

'*  A  constantly  increasing  pleasure  as  ^oa  perti£« 
page  after  page." — Evening  Gazette,  Boston. 

"  It  is  a  good  one  and  an  interesting  one." — Bitf 
fcUo  Express. 

**  A  noteworthy  novel." — Chief  <^  Jribune, 

**  He  works  out  the  situation  to  a  fortunate  oob 
dusion." — Book  Buyer. 

*•  A  digtinctly  good  novel  of  real  life." — BosUm 
Times. 

"  A  capital  story.'*— Nezo  York  Ptes. . 

*'  It  is  a  novel  of  more  than  usual  interest  xaXi 
cannot  fail  of  an  abundant  popularity." — AriAyand 
iiavy  Journal. 

"A  delightful  story." — Cincinnati  Enquirer. 

*•  Has  a  quality  of  its  own." — Literary  World. 

"  Unusually  strong  points. '  ^-Buffalo  Commerciat 

••  An  extremely  clever  story." — Albany  Argus. 

"Interesting  creation." — Louismlle  Times. 

•*  With  a  feeling  of  loving  regret  I  lay  down  the 
book." — Evening  Record. 

"An  interesting  and  well  told  tale." — Evening 
Star,  Washington. 

"  An  extremely  clever  tale." — ludianapolis  Sen- 
Hnel. 

"More  than  usually  interesting."— A^«bs,  in 
dianapolt\. 

"  An  excellent  story  well  told." — Rochester 
Herald. 

"  Starts  upon  a  good  literary  level,  and  maintains 
it  to  the  end,  and  never  for  a  moment  degen- 
erates. ....  One  sits  through  the  story  with  gen- 
nine  pleasure,  and  rises  from  the  reading  of  it  witb 
likdamtable  refreshment. '  *— Daily  Chronide. 

i2mOt  cloth,  $tJ2S       '- 
HjMf  HoBSii  R.F.  FKNNO & COMPANV 


/2mo,  cloth,  $i.2S 

An  Unofficial  Patriot 

By  HELEN  H.  GARDENER  i 

'*  It  is  a  side  of  the  slavery  auestion  of  which  NortL 
ern  people  knew  nothing.  "—yoA»  A.  Cockerill,  N.  V. 
Advertiser. 

"  Strong  and  picturesque  sketches  of  camp  and  field 
in  the  days  of  the  Civil  War." — San  Francisco  Chron, 
icle. 

"The  book  is  being  dramatized  by  Mr.  James  A, 
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N.  Y.  Press. 

"It  tells  a  splendid  Story ."^/ournal,  Columbus,  O 

■'  Will  be  sure  to  attract  the  attention  it  deserves." 
— Philadelphia  Press. 

"  In  its  scope  and  power  it  is  unrivalled  among  war 
stories." — Ideas,  Boston,  Mass. 

"In  many  ways  the  most  remarkable  historic^ 
novel  of  the  Civil  War." — Home  Journal, Boston, Mass. 

"  The  interview  with  Lincoln  is  one  of  the  finest  bita 
of  dialoj?ue  in  a  modern  book." — Chicago  Herald. 

"  Will  probably  be  the  most  popular  and  saleable 
novel  since  Robert  Elsmere." — Republican. 

"  One  of  the  most  instructive  and  fascmating  writers 
of  our  time." — Courier -Journal.  Louisville. 

••Is  calculated  to  command  as  wide  attention  as 
Judge  Tourg^e's  "Fool's  Errand."— A^  Y.  Evening 
Telegram. 

"  Has  enriched  American  literature." — Item,  Phil~ 
delphia. 

'  'Remarkably  true  to  history. '  ^-Inter-Ocean,  Chicagc 

"  Entitled  to  a  place  with  standard  .histories  of  tlC 
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Author  of  "  By  Order  of  the  Car.* 

I^v      V*      l9* 

*'  Mostidramatic  manner.  .  ,  .  Deserves  to  rank 
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•'  Villainy  of  the  deepest  die.heroism  of  the  high- 
est sort,  beauty  wronged  and  lorg  suflFering,  virtue 
finally  rewarded,  thrills  without  num^«»r." — ^. 
Louis  Globe-Democrat. 

"  Clean  wholesome  story,  which  should  take 
prominent  place  in  current  fiction." — Chicago 
Record. 

*'  Finely  conceived  and  finely  written." — Toledo 
Blade. 

"  This  is  his  masterpiece." — Buffalo  Express. 

"  The  chief  merit  is  the  account  of  the  Plague  in 

Eyam It  is  a  true  story  and  Eyam  is  a  real 

village. ' ' — Boston  Journal. 

"  Weird  and  interesting  to  the  point  of  being 
absorbing.  The  only  way  to  get  the  story  is  to 
read  it." — St.  Louis  Star. 

*  Seventeenth  century  romance  steeped  in  the 
traditions  of  the  Church  and  of  the  tunes." — Deiroii 
JournaL 

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**An  admirable  piece  of  work,  and  is  worth  a 
crowd  of  far  more  pretentious  productions."— 
Nezvs  and  Courier,  Charleston,  S.C 

**  Heartily  alive  and  extremely  well  written.**— 
Boston  Gazette. 

*•  Resembles  some  of  Stockton's  works."— /¥//[s« 
burg  Press. 

"  Takes  high  rank  among  a  decade's  array  of  en« 
tertaining  books." — Boston  Courier. 

"  Possessing  among  other  merits  that  of  original 
ArXxH.^''  —Cincinnati  Times-Star. 

"  The  author  has  a  very  genius  for  clever  charac- 
ter-drawing. ' ' — Detroit  Journal. 

**  There  is  much  force  and  action," — Boston 
Herald. 

**  Intense  human  interest." — Bulletin. 

•'  The  author  has  a  genius  for  clever  character 
drawing." — Baltimore  American. 

"  An  unusually  pleasing  novel  and  well  written.'* 

Philadelphia  Press. 

"A  charming  book,  beginning  with  good  chapters 
irf  child-life,  and  containing  memorable  figures, 
notably  Billy  the  Curate  and  Betty  herself.  Betty 
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THE  MAN 
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AUTHOB    or 

•*  A  Daughter  of  the  Philisdees,"    **  One  Man*t  Views.** 

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"  A  second  success An  exceptionally  able 

novel." — Literary  Review. 

"  Remarkable  for  its  splendid  delineation  of 
character,  its  workmanship  and  natural  arrangement 
of  plot. " — Chicago  Daily  News.  ' 

"  Has  distinction  of  style  and  character,  dramatic 
force  and  literary  effectiveness." — Phila.  Pres". 

"  An  intensely  dramatic  story,  and  written  with 
force  and  precision." — New  York  Times. 

"  Mr.  Merrick's  work  is  of  a  very  high  quality. 
Is  the  most  masterly  of  his  three  books." — Chicago 
Tribune. 

"  The  delicacy  of  the  character  sketching  has  a 
brilliancy  and  fascination  strangely  magnetic."— 
Minneapolis  Tribune. 

"  Is  a  forceful,  dramatic  and  altogether  human 
Story  of  English  life." — Boston  Titnes. 

"  Strong  story." — Chicago  Record. 

*'  It  is  useless  to  say  that  so  strong,,  so  fierce  & 
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Herald,   •  

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•*  *rne  story  is  true  to  life  in  some  of  its  manifold 
phases  and  will  repay  reading." — Minneapolis 
Tribune. 

"  It  is  written  in  the  usual  entertaining  style  of 
this  well  known  author." — Boston  Courier. 

"  Very  good  reading." — New  Orleans  Picayune. 

"  The  action  is  vigorous  and  the  story  is  interest- 
ing."—/^W/t  Opinion." 

♦'Capital  story  by  an  established  favorite."— 
Philadelphia  American. 

"  Is  a  charming  German  story  by  the  author  of 
"Heart's  Darling,"  "Good  Luck,"  "  Her  Only 
Brother, "  etc. '  '—Southern  Star. 

"It  possesses  the  positive  virtue  of  being  pure 
and  wholesome  in  sentiment." — Detroit  Free  Press. 

"  It  comprises  all  the  many  qualities  of  romance 
that  recommend  all  Heimburg's  other  stories." — 
New  Haven  Journal. 

"  It  is  simple,  but  dignified  and  free  from  any  of 
those  smirches  that  suggest  the  presence  of  vice  and 
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"When  The  World 
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By  M.  E.  BRADDON 

*'  Miss  Braddon  skilfully  uses  as  a  backg^round  the  great 
p.agrue  and  fire  in  London,  which  gives  realism  to  her  pic- 
ture."— Rochester  Herald. 

"The  characters  are  clearly  drawn  and  strongly  con- 
trasted. The  manners  of  the  times,  the  intrigues  of  the 
court,  the  landmarks  of  London,  are  unerringly  painted." 
Boston  Times, 

"  The  first  attempt  Miss  M.  B.  Braddon  has  made  in  the 
line  of  the  historical  no\e:\."— Literary  IVorld. 

"  She  has  chosen  the  period  of  the  Restoration  of  Charles 

the  Second  for  her  romance,  and  has  given  us  an  excellent 

description  of  the  state  of  society  in  London  and  at  the 

Court  during  the  reign  of  that  dissolute  monarch."— /fo»*< 

■  Queen. 

"It is  needless  to  say  that  the  story  is  well  told." — San 
Francisco  Chronicle. 

"  One  of  the  strongest  and  most  enjoyable  of  her  stories  " 
— Philadelphia  Inquirer. 

"  It  abounds  in  mystifying  plot,  lovable  characters,  rapid 
and  thrilling  incident  and  delightful  descriptions  of  Bnglfsh 
accn&cy ."—Boston  Globe. 

"  A  tale  worth  reading."— 5an  Francisco  CaU. 

"Full  of  incident,  chapter  after  chapter,  brimming  with 
vital  meanings." — Boston  Courier. 

"  Beautiful,  innocent  and  brave  was  Angela,  the  heroine." 
—Philadelphia  Bulletin. 

"  It  is  a  Braddon  story  in  the  famous  old  Braddon  vein." — 
St.  Louis  Mirror. 

"This  one  reviewing  the  days  of  Cromwell  and  the  Charles 
fs  no  shallow  piece  otvrot'^."— Philadelphia  American. 

"  Miss  Braddon  has  caught  the  atmosphere  cleverly  and 
manufactured  a  stirring  novel  which  bears  evidence  ot 
careful  thought  and  ■pla.nniu^."— Chicago  Record. 

"The  scene  is  laid  in  England  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Restoration.  Charles  II.,  Nell  Gwyune,  Pepys,  and  Milton 
are  among  the  characters."— ^w^a/o  Express. 

"  None  of  her  books  tells  a  more  interesting  story."— 5Z. 
Afiuis  Star. 


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THE 
STORY  OF  A  GENIUS 

From  the  German  of  Ossip  Schuhin. 

The  International  in  a  recent  issue  had  this 
to  say  concerning  this  talented  authoress: 
•* '  Ossip  Schubin'  is  the  pseudonym  of  Aloysia 
Eirschmer,  an  Austrian  authoress  of  growing 
popularity.  She  was  born  in  Prague,  In  June, 
1854,  and  her  early  youth  was  spent  on  a  country 
estate  of  her  parents.  Since  her  eighteenth 
year  she  has  travelled  extensively,  spending 
her  winters  in  some  one  of  the  large  cities. 
Borne,  Paris  or  Brussels,  and  her  work  shows 
the  keen  observation  and  cool  judgment  of  a 
cosmopolitan  writer.  She  is  well  liked  in  Eng- 
land." The  story  under  consideration  is  infinite- 
ly sad,  beautiful,  exalting  At  one  moment  you 
are  rejoicing  at  the  idyllic  happiness  of  the 
lover,  the  bright  promise  of  a  glorious  future. 
Then  the  scene  changes,  and  your  heart  is 
bleeding  with  unutterable  angruish  at  the  mut« 
grief  that  follows  the  irreparable  loss  of  his 
love,  which  carries  in  its  train  lost  ambition, 
talent, manhood.  Just letusquoteone passage : 
"  There  is  a  suffering  so  painful  that  no  hand  is 
tender  enough  to  touch  it,  and  so  deep  that  no 
heart  is  brave  enough  to  fathom  it.  Dumbly 
we  sink  the  head,  as  before  something  sacred. 
Never  could  he  reproach  her  lying  there  before 
him,  clad  in  the  blue  dress,  of  which  every  fold, 
so  dear  to  him,  cried  '  forgive  1 '  Not  to  our  des- 
ecrated love  do  I  appeal,  but  to  our  sweet  caress- 
ing friendship,— forgive  the  sister  what  the 
bride  has  done  ! '  How  could  he  reproach  her, 
with  her  parting  kiss  still  on  his  lips  V* 


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i 


